Halloween Series: Pumpkins and Jack-O-Lanterns

Welcome back! It's Treacherous Tuesday, which is a perfect day to present day two of my Halloween Series: Pumpkins and Jack-O-Lanterns. For those of you who enjoy Halloween as much as I do, you will appreciate today's post. The first ingredient of course is a fresh pumpkin or two, followed by a pen or pencil to trace a face on the pumpkin skin. Add a sharp knife and a bit of imagination, a little elbow grease and presto: a Jack-O-Lantern is born. The Jack-O-Lantern is one of the most popular Halloween symbols in America, but it originated in Europe, having first been carved from a turnip. The reason a head is carved is because many people believed the head was the most powerful part of a body, containing the spirit. The term Jack-O-Lantern is traced back to the Irish legend called Stingy Jack. He tricked the devil into climbing a tree, trapping him by carving into the tree trunk. Out of revenge, the devil cursed Jack, and condemned him to walk the land at night with a candle inside of a hollowed turnip. Pumpkins are used here in the USA mainly because pumpkins are more readily available. It quickly became legend, and to this day Jack-O-Lanterns are carved and illuminated each year. So when you carve your pumpkin this year, be sure to think of Stingy Jack! Here are some photos to get you in the mood~

Thanks for stopping by!
-Rick Rockhill