Pumpkin carving has been an enjoyed tradition across the world for centuries by many. The practice goes back to Ancient Celtic history to the legend of “Stingy Jack”, which is believed to be the foundation for carving squash and turnips during autumn.
Jack was a miserable old man who took pleasure in
playing tricks on people, even the devil himself. One day, he decided to trick the devil into climbing up an apple tree to fetch an apple. Jack quickly placed crosses across the entire base of the tree, and, as the devil could not touch a cross, was trapped in the tree until Jack made him promise to not take his soul when he died. Once the devil had promised this, Jack removed the crosses and the devil was free.
Many years later, Jack died and was turned away at the gates of heaven. The devil, however, also kept true to his word and Jack had no place ton retreat to in afterlife. It is said that Jack still wanders the earth searching for a place to go with only a turnip as a lantern to give him light.
The Irish began to refer to him as “Jack of the Lantern” or, more simply,
“Jack O’Lantern.” During All Hallows’ Eve, the Irish carved and lit potatoes, turnips, gourds, and beets and placed them outside their homes to ward off evil spirits such as Stingy Jack. During the 19th century, many Irish families migrated to America and brought the tradition with them. They found that pumpkins were larger and easier to carve, and the practice lives on today in the lives of those all around the world.
The custom lives on at Technical High School as well, with many families participating. One of the teachers especially good at pumpkin carving is Ms. Green, who says she has been carving pumpkins since she was a kid. She says she draws most of her inspiration from fandoms such as “Scooby-Doo, superheroes, [or] Pokémon” and that she and her kids have fun doing “lots of different kinds” of carvings. Some of her favorite pieces over the years have been Spider Quinn, Peter Pan, and her Scooby-Doo piece that included “the Haunted Mansion, Scooby and Shaggy, and the Mystery Machine”.
Carving pumpkins has evolved into something greater than an ancient legend, bringing families together to enjoy this time of year across the globe. It allows creativity to blossom into intricate costumes, decorations, and carvings of pumpkins or even turnips as the Irish did hundreds of years ago.
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