I was browsing my Facebook yesterday, then I saw my long time friend posted a lot of photos with their gateway with her husband, they live in Arizona USA. Her husband is American, then I saw her photos with beautiful pumpkins in the background, shining with its beautiful orange color. Here in our country, we don't have pumpkin but squash only I don't know if they are the same in taste because I haven't see pumpkin yet.
Then, I suddenly thought why pumpkin is always associated with Halloween? I mean why they are carving it with horror faces or devils face? To my curiosity, I researched what was the history behind it since the Halloween season is fast approaching.
Why are they carving pumpkins demonic faces?
A long history with Halloween is related to jack-o'-lantern although it hasn't carved our favorite demonic faces out of pumpkins.
It originates from an Irish myth about Stingy Jack, who tricked the Devil from his monetary gain. When he died, God didn't allow him into heaven, and the devil didn't accept him into hell as well. He was sentenced to roam the earth for eternity. People started to carve demonic faces out of turnips to frighten away his wandering soul, in Ireland. They began carving jack- o'-lanterns from pumpkins as these were native yo the region when Irish immigrants moved to the U.S.
How did jack-o'-lantern associated with Halloween? Well, it was based on the Celtic Festival Samhain, ancient Britain and Ireland marked the end of summer and the beginning of the new year on November 1 as a celebration. During Samhain, the souls f the dead that year traveled to the otherworld while other souls returned to visit their home, as their beliefs.
The Roman Catholic Church moved All Saints' Day celebrating the church's saints to November 1, in the 8th century CE. That meant All Hallows' (or Halloween) fell on October 31. Wearing disguises to hide from the souls wandering around the home remained a tradition from Samhain. They've been carving pumpkins ever since when Stingy Jacks' folklore was quickly incorporated with Halloween.
What is Samhain?
An ancient Celtic spiritual tradition was originated from a pagan religious festival was called “Samhain”. “sow-win” a Gaelic word pronounced in modern times, usually celebrated from October 31 to November 1 in welcoming the harvest and usher the “dark half of the year”. Allowing more interaction between humans and denizens of the otherworld to break down barriers between the physical world and spirit world, as their beliefs in celebrating Samhain.
What are the facts about pumpkins?
The plants are native to Central America and Mexico, but now grows on six continents but it was all in Antarctica. Pumpkin is a member of the gourd family with cucumber, honeydew melons, cantaloupe, watermelon, and zucchini.
Even before the cultivation of beans and corn, Indigenous North Americans have grown pumpkin for a thousand years.
The name was translated into English as “pompions” which evolved into modern “pumpkin”. French explorer Jacques Cartier explored St.Lawrene region of North America reported finding “gros melons”, in 1584.
The largest producer of pumpkins in the United States was Illinois according to the 2017 Census, U.S. Agriculture. Compared to other, top producing states harvest twice many pumpkin acres.
In 2016, the heaviest pumpkin was grown in Belgium weighed a whopping 2, 624 pounds. In New Hampshire in 2018, the heaviest pumpkin weighed 2,528 pounds in the U.S. In 2010 Ohio baked the largest pumpkin pie ever, it weighed 3,699 pounds and over 20 feet in diameter.
Last week of May and the middle of June, pumpkin seed should be planted. During October when they are bright Orange they are picked, they will grow between 90-120 days.
Third to last photos from UnsplashSources:
https://www.britannica.com/story/why-do-we-carve-pumpkins-at-halloween
https://www.history.com/news/pumpkin-facts-halloween-jack-o-lantern
Thank you for reading! ❤💢
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