Our country's pumpkin-carving history began with a spooky tale.
America is a land of many traditions, but most of us don’t have the first idea how they started. One of our country’s most-loved pastimes is carving pumpkins in the fall. (And, of course, enjoying the crispy, crunchy spoils—pumpkin seeds!)
Every October, ghoulish gourds peer out from doorsteps across the country—but what is it about the crisp air, changing leaves and end of summer that urges us to break out the carving knives? A time to welcome the coming winter, October is full of superstition as well as celebration. Although a jack o’ lantern adorning every doorway is the norm, most people don’t know why: We’ll share the secret of the season’s most ubiquitous decoration.
Why Do We Carve Pumpkins?
Thought the Americans were the first to carve the orange fruit into freaky figures? Think again. Like most American folklore, this spooky ritual comes from our European ancestors. We’re a country of immigrants, so most of our traditions originate from outside the U.S.—and jack o’ lanterns are no different. The practice dates back to a centuries-old Irish myth about a man named “Stingy Jack.” Don’t know how to get started? Here are our tips on how to carve a pumpkin.
According to the legend, Jack was a devious fellow who outsmarted the devil time and time again. As told by history.com, Jack, the town drunk with a clever side, met the devil one fateful night. The duo shared a drink and, too cheap to pay for his booze, Jack convinced Satan to morph into a coin that he could use to pay for their beverages. As soon as he did, Jack put the coin in his pocket next to a silver cross. The devil was unable to change back into his original form, and Jack held him that way until Satan agreed not to take his soul. Sneaky!
Next, the shifty swindler convinced the devil to climb up a tree to steal a piece of fruit. He quickly carved the sign of the cross into the tree bark. Again, the devil couldn’t come down until he agreed not to bother Jack for another 10 years.
Shortly after his meeting with the devil, Jack died. As legend goes, God would not accept Jack into heaven and sent him down to visit the devil in hell. But the devil kept his promise. He wouldn’t let Jack into hell, either, and imprisoned him to an even darker fate. The devil sent Jack into the dark night to roam the world for eternity, with only a coal to light his way. Jack lit the coal, put it in a hollowed-out turnip and has been drifting through the world, scaring children ever since.
Townsfolk began to refer to this figure as “Jack of the lantern,” and shortly thereafter “Jack o’ lantern.” People began to carve their own lanterns out of turnips, beets, potatoes and eventually pumpkins in hopes of warding away any ghostly spirits.
The Tradition Today
Over time, the tradition reached American shores by way of mouth, and immigrants from various countries took their own approach to the ancient tradition. A chiefly American fruit, the pumpkin became our own adaptation of this European tradition, and it’s now a symbol of Halloween. As years went by, the spooky history behind this family tradition has been lost. So now carving pumpkins is synonymous with family and fun instead of spooky spirits.
This October, when you reach for a warm glass of cider and a carving knife, remember the spirit of Stingy Jack, and spook your friends and family with this ghostly tale!
Here's How Halloween Looked the Year You Were Born
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Michael Lacivita via ReminisceMichael Lacivita via Reminisce
Halloween sure has changed since the days of apple bobbing and hand-stitched costumes. Let's take a trip down memory lane to see what this spooky holiday looked like the year you were born.
While you're at it, be sure to check out all of the hauntingly good Halloween recipes we've collected over the years.
Joesephine Mele via Reminisce
1950
"After two years of staying home on Halloween because he was sick, all my little brother, Joey, wanted was to go trick-or-treating." —Joesephine Mele. Stay cozy with these Halloween soup recipes.
Late October in the '50s meant sometimes having to bundle up on Halloween night. This fur-lined costume was fit for a king!
Patricia Kasbohm Schley via Reminisce
1954
"We lived on 42nd street in Milwaukee. My mother must have had some old sheets to spare, as she made me and my older brother, Ken, ghost costumes for Halloween one year." —Patricia Kasbohm Schley
No one will say "boo" to our Ghostly Custard recipe.
Genevieve Catina via Reminisce
1955
"My brother, Bob, sure was a cutie. This was in 1955 and Davy Crockett, a five-part serial starring Fess Parker, was airing on ABC as a part of the Disneyland series." —Genevieve Catina
Arlene Cieglo-Beyma via Reminisce
1956
When it comes to Halloween costumes, finding one that is unique can be tough. This group of youngsters got creative by dressing up as baton twirlers, farmers, cowboys and more.
"This is a Halloween picture of Our Lady of Lourdes 8th grade all-boys class of 1958. I got my nerve up and asked the nun if I could have this picture." —Bruce Bray
Debra Steilen via Reminisce
1959
"Halloween proved to be a great time for my sister, Kathy, and me to jump on the cowboy chuck wagon. Raised on an electronic diet of TV Westerns (thanks to 2 older brothers) we happily wore cowgirl costumes." —Debra Steilen
Heather Anderson via Reminisce
1960
"In 1960, at age 8, my brother was a Roman centurion. We made the kilt and cape from an old red tablecloth and the helmet from gold-pained papier-mache. The dagger was real, but my father would let him hold it only while we took the photos" —Heather Anderson
Michael Lacivita via ReminisceMichael Lacivita via Reminisce
1961
"While kids form a line, my daughter and her grade school classmate take a bite at apples swinging from the ceiling at a Halloween party in our rec room." —Michael Lacivita
Plain apples not your thing? Take it up a notch by making these gourmet caramel apples.
Heather Anderson via Reminisce
1962
"A t-shirt, a couple of dish towels, miscellaneous bits of jewelry, and some creative bending of metal rods created this look." —Heather Anderson
Peggy Oels via Reminisce
1963
"When your dad is a service technician for IBM, it stands to reason that all those electronics could be used to make a blinking costume for Halloween." —Peggy Oels
Give your holiday beverage a scientific spin by serving up this Mad Scientist Punch recipe.
Sally Olson via Reminisce
1964
"Here's a photo of my younger siblings Peter and Laura tugging at Laura's yarn braids." —Sally Olson
Karen Withers via Reminisce
1965
"It was so cold and rainy the Halloween of 1965 that we had to wear coats." —Karen Withers
Keep your trick-or-treaters warm by packing a Thermos of our stovetop hot chocolate recipe.
Reminisce
1966
Premiering in the summer of 1966, ABC-TV's Dark Shadows served up a daily dose of vampire drama. It was part soap opera, part horror and altogether freaky,
These vampire-themed cookies would fit right in.
Eddie Adams/AP/REX/Shutterstock
1967
Though Spandex-clad Bruce Wayne had only made his TV appearance as Batman the year before, his superhero Halloween costume became one of the best-sellers in 19767—along with other popular comic book heroes like Superman and the Green Lantern.
Sarah Mason via Reminisce
1968
"My little brother and sister, Robbie and Aimee, dressed as Batman and a nurse for Halloween." —Sarah Mason
Reminisce
1969
"Here's a picture of my Gran trying the family's clown hat under her great-granddaughter Kristine's chin." —Jim Mattison
Nina McLean via Reminisce
1970
"This is a photo of my siblings and I surprising our dad by trick-or-treating at our own home. He treated his four little monsters to fresh apples on Halloween."—Nina McLean
Find out the fascinating history behind trick-or-treating.
Lisa O'Brien/Reminisce
1971
"Being a single mom and raising my daughter, Erin, on a very tight budget, I needed to be creative with her Halloween costumes. Our town had a children's Halloween party, and almost every year, Erin would win the prize for the most original costume." —Lisa O'Brien. Prepare these Halloween cookies for your party.
The '70s were all about flower power, just like this adorable homemade costume.
HENRY GRIFFIN/AP/REX/Shutterstock
1974
After giving out apples and bags of candy, First Lady Betty Ford placed a quarter into each child's UNICEF collection box on the White House lawn.
See the most-famous FLOTUS's favorite foods.
Moviestore/REX/Shutterstock
1975
Let's do the Time Warp! The Rocky Horror Picture Show, starring Tim Curry, Susan Sarandon and Barry Bostwick, was released in 1975.
"My mom was a talented seamstress who sewed all the clothes for me, my sisters and her granddaughters. In 1978 she made Halloween this cute costume for my sister Debbie." —Carolyn Heep
Stick together for safety, kids! These adorable "dolls" held hands and posed for a picture before continuing on their mission for Halloween candy.
Try these Halloween candy recipes at home.
"I made this pumpkin costume for my daughter. Looking back, I should have stuffed it up a bit to fill her out, but she still looked great." —Darlene Brenden
"This is my daughter, Kristina, in 1991. The grade school she attended was called Deer Creek, so I decorated her sash with 'Miss Deer Creek'." —Darlene Brenden
Nowadays, it's hard to imagine a Halloween without a dozen Harry Potters or Hermione Grangers running around the neighborhood. But in 1997, J.K. Rowling's popular children's series had just entered the scene—and sure enough, the three-headed dog costumes were soon to follow.
Get Harry Potter-inspired recipes.
Laura is a New York-based freelance food writer with a degree in Culinary Arts from the Institute of Culinary Education and a degree in Journalism from Penn State. Her work has appeared in Taste of Home, Chowhound, the Culture Trip and Patch.
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