Halloween Pumpkin - From Dinner Table to Stingy Jack"s "Jack O" Lantern"
The word Halloween is derived from the term "All Hallows Eve" which occurred on Oct.
31, the end of summer in Northwestern Europe.
"All Saints Day," or "All Hallows Day" was the next Day.
Therefore, Halloween is the eve of All Saints Day.
Apparently, the origins of Halloween can be traced back to ancient Ireland and Scotland around the time of Christ.
On Oct.
31st, the Celts celebrated the end of summer.
This wasthe time of the crop harvests.
This annual change of season and lifestyle was marked by a festival called Samhain --meaning 'end of summer'.
There was much superstition associated with this time of change including the beliefthat the spirits of the dead wandered around looking for bodies to inhabit.
Since the living did not want to be possessed by spirits, they dressed up in costumes and paraded around the streets making loud noises to confuse and frighten the spirits away.
Later, around the 5th century, as the Catholic Church developed and moved into the area, instead of adding a new day to celebrate, it took over the Samhain celebration.
Nov.
1st became "All Hallows Eve" where all the saints of the Catholic church were honored.
Pumpkin and Halloween has a long tradition attached with it.
Halloween is a celebration of scaring away evil spirits and ghosts.
On this eerie night, people used to put glowing jack-o-lanterns, carved out of turnips or gourds, outside on porches or their doors and windows to welcome deceased loved ones but at the same time to act as a protection against the malevolent spirit.
But when Europeans, particularly the Irish arrived in America they found the native pumpkin to be larger, easier to carve and seemed perfect choice for jack-o-lantern.
Hence, the relation of pumpkin and Halloween.
There are many recipes made from Pumpkin among which Traditional Pumpkin Pie is the most famous cuisine for the Halloween Eve.
People have been making jack o'lanterns at Halloween for centuries.
The practice originated from an Irish myth about a man nicknamed "Stingy Jack.
" According to the story, Stingy Jack invited the Devil to have a drink with him.
True to his name, Stingy Jack didn't want to pay for his drink, so he convinced the Devil to turn himself into a coin that Jack could use to buy their drinks.
Once the Devil did so, Jack decided to keep the money and put it into his pocket next to a silver cross, which prevented the Devil from changing back into his original form.
Jack eventually freed the Devil, under the condition that he would not bother Jack for one year and that, should Jack die, he would not claim his soul.
The next year, Jack again tricked the Devil into climbing into a tree to pick a piece of fruit.
While he was up in the tree, Jack carved a sign of the cross into the tree's bark so that the Devil could not come down until the Devil promised Jack not to bother him for ten more years.
Soon after, Jack died.
As the legend goes, God would not allow such an unsavory figure into heaven.
The Devil, upset by the trick Jack had played on him and keeping his word not to claim his soul, would not allow Jack into hell.
He sent Jack off into the dark night with only a burning coal to light his way.
Jack put the coal into a carved-out turnip and has been roaming the Earth with it ever since.
The Irish began to refer to this ghostly figure as "Jack of the Lantern," and then, simply "Jack O'Lantern.
" Pumpkin carving is a popular part of modern America's Halloween celebration.
In order to carve a pumpkin using patterns,the lid in the top of the pumpkin is cut large enough to fit one's hand and a spoon inside.
A small notch in the back of the lid is added.
The notch will remind one as tohow the lid is positioned, allow smoke and heat to escape, and ensure that the candle receives enough air to remain lit.
Then the pulp and seeds are scooped out and the inside of the pumpkin is scrapped.
Small incisions are made in the pattern so that it lies flat on the face of the pumpkin.
The edges of the pattern is taped to that of the pumpkin and the pattern is transferred by poking small holes along the pattern lines with a drill tool or needle.
Then the pattern is sawedcarefully along the dotted lines.
The piecesare gently pushed through with the fingers and a glow effect is created by scraping designs into the shell of the pumpkin with a melon baller, wood gouge or linoleum cutter.
Finally, a candle is anchored in the bottom of the pumpkin and the candle is lit to create an eerie glow to make the best jack-o'-lantern ready for display.
31, the end of summer in Northwestern Europe.
"All Saints Day," or "All Hallows Day" was the next Day.
Therefore, Halloween is the eve of All Saints Day.
Apparently, the origins of Halloween can be traced back to ancient Ireland and Scotland around the time of Christ.
On Oct.
31st, the Celts celebrated the end of summer.
This wasthe time of the crop harvests.
This annual change of season and lifestyle was marked by a festival called Samhain --meaning 'end of summer'.
There was much superstition associated with this time of change including the beliefthat the spirits of the dead wandered around looking for bodies to inhabit.
Since the living did not want to be possessed by spirits, they dressed up in costumes and paraded around the streets making loud noises to confuse and frighten the spirits away.
Later, around the 5th century, as the Catholic Church developed and moved into the area, instead of adding a new day to celebrate, it took over the Samhain celebration.
Nov.
1st became "All Hallows Eve" where all the saints of the Catholic church were honored.
Pumpkin and Halloween has a long tradition attached with it.
Halloween is a celebration of scaring away evil spirits and ghosts.
On this eerie night, people used to put glowing jack-o-lanterns, carved out of turnips or gourds, outside on porches or their doors and windows to welcome deceased loved ones but at the same time to act as a protection against the malevolent spirit.
But when Europeans, particularly the Irish arrived in America they found the native pumpkin to be larger, easier to carve and seemed perfect choice for jack-o-lantern.
Hence, the relation of pumpkin and Halloween.
There are many recipes made from Pumpkin among which Traditional Pumpkin Pie is the most famous cuisine for the Halloween Eve.
People have been making jack o'lanterns at Halloween for centuries.
The practice originated from an Irish myth about a man nicknamed "Stingy Jack.
" According to the story, Stingy Jack invited the Devil to have a drink with him.
True to his name, Stingy Jack didn't want to pay for his drink, so he convinced the Devil to turn himself into a coin that Jack could use to buy their drinks.
Once the Devil did so, Jack decided to keep the money and put it into his pocket next to a silver cross, which prevented the Devil from changing back into his original form.
Jack eventually freed the Devil, under the condition that he would not bother Jack for one year and that, should Jack die, he would not claim his soul.
The next year, Jack again tricked the Devil into climbing into a tree to pick a piece of fruit.
While he was up in the tree, Jack carved a sign of the cross into the tree's bark so that the Devil could not come down until the Devil promised Jack not to bother him for ten more years.
Soon after, Jack died.
As the legend goes, God would not allow such an unsavory figure into heaven.
The Devil, upset by the trick Jack had played on him and keeping his word not to claim his soul, would not allow Jack into hell.
He sent Jack off into the dark night with only a burning coal to light his way.
Jack put the coal into a carved-out turnip and has been roaming the Earth with it ever since.
The Irish began to refer to this ghostly figure as "Jack of the Lantern," and then, simply "Jack O'Lantern.
" Pumpkin carving is a popular part of modern America's Halloween celebration.
In order to carve a pumpkin using patterns,the lid in the top of the pumpkin is cut large enough to fit one's hand and a spoon inside.
A small notch in the back of the lid is added.
The notch will remind one as tohow the lid is positioned, allow smoke and heat to escape, and ensure that the candle receives enough air to remain lit.
Then the pulp and seeds are scooped out and the inside of the pumpkin is scrapped.
Small incisions are made in the pattern so that it lies flat on the face of the pumpkin.
The edges of the pattern is taped to that of the pumpkin and the pattern is transferred by poking small holes along the pattern lines with a drill tool or needle.
Then the pattern is sawedcarefully along the dotted lines.
The piecesare gently pushed through with the fingers and a glow effect is created by scraping designs into the shell of the pumpkin with a melon baller, wood gouge or linoleum cutter.
Finally, a candle is anchored in the bottom of the pumpkin and the candle is lit to create an eerie glow to make the best jack-o'-lantern ready for display.