A History of Pumpkin Carving

The Origins of a Halloween Tradition and How It Came to Life

Oct 3, 2008

Carved pumpkins have become an important symbol of Halloween. How did this tradition begin and how has it evolved today?

The present-day holiday of Halloween has evolved over the years into a fun and spooky holiday filled with treats, costumes and parties for children. But what are the origins of this holiday and how did pumpkins come to be involved?

The tradition of the festival at the end of October began with the Celts and an ancient festival called Samhain. The festival signified the end of the Celtic year and a new beginning. Like the present-day holidays of All Saints Day (La Toussaint) in France, Day of the Dead (Dia De Los Muertos) in Mexico and All Souls Day in Latin America and Spain, the period from October 31st through November 2nd has played an important role in the remembrance of the dead. The original Celtic holiday was not religious, but rather a time of mystique and superstition when it was believed that contact could be made between the worlds of the living and the dead. The holiday evolved and took on different meanings for different cultures, such as the French holiday of La Toussaint which also included an honoring of "tous saints" or all the Catholic saints at the same time as honoring deceased loved ones.

So how did pumpkin carving enter into the celebrations? In the beginning, people began to carve out the insides of turnips, rutabagas, gourds, potatoes and beets to put outside to welcome friendly spirits, or the souls of deceased loved ones. In this way, the celebration was superstitious yet had the intent of welcoming good spirits. As time went on, the nature of the superstitions became darker and the carved out lanterns were used to fend off evil spirits which might try to enter the home.

The Great Pumpkin of the West and the Myth of Stingy Jack

In the 1800s, Irish immigrants discovered the native pumpkin of the Western hemisphere which lent itself even better to the tradition of carving out lanterns. The term "jack-o-lantern" also came from the Irish in the form of a mythical story about a character named Stingy Jack. Stingy Jack was a drunkard who, having invited the Devil for a drink, requested that the Devil transform himself into money to pay for the drinks. When the Devil did so, Jack took the money and put it in his pocket next to a silver cross. The Devil, unable to transform himself into his original form because of the cross, was trapped. Jack made a deal with the Devil that he would not bother Jack and would leave him alone for a year if he was allowed to change back. The Devil, agreeable to this, came back to Jack in a year. Jack, a year later confronted by the Devil, requested that the Devil climb up in a tree to pick a piece of fruit. Once the Devil was in the tree, Jack carved a cross in the trunk of the tree preventing the Devil from descending until he agreed once again not to bother Jack for another ten years. When Jack died a short time after this encounter, neither God nor the Devil would accept him into their kingdom. The Devil, keeping his promise, sent Jack away into the night with only a hot coal to light his way, which Jack put into a hollowed out turnip. Thus began the tradition of jack-o-lanterns.

Pumpkin Carving Today

Pumpkin carving today has become an art itself with the creation of intricately carved designs such as the elaborate pumpkin displays at the annual Great Jack'O'Lantern Blaze at the historic Van Cortlandt Manor in Hudson Valley, New York, near Sleepy Hollow.

The copyright of the article A History of Pumpkin Carving in Food Facts is owned by Danielle DuChateau. Permission to republish A History of Pumpkin Carving in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.