Got Pumpkins?

Pumpkin History

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References to pumpkins date back many centuries. The name pumpkin originated from the Greek word for "large melon" which is "pepon." "Pepon" was nasalized by the French into "pompon." The English changed "pompon" to "Pumpion." Shakespeare referred to the "pumpion" in his Merry Wives of Windsor. American colonists changed "pumpion" into "pumpkin." The "pumpkin" is referred to in The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, Peter, Peter, Pumpkin Eater and Cinderella.

Native Americans dried strips of pumpkin and wove them into mats. They also roasted long strips of pumpkin on the open fire and ate them. The origin of pumpkin pie occurred when the colonists sliced off the pumpkin top, removed the seeds, and filled the insides with milk, spices and honey. The pumpkin was then baked in hot ashes.

My Favorite Pumpkin 08'

Wandering the streets this year with my son Kooper I wasn't sure what the holiday was. We grew up calling it Halloween, however I was informed by my detailed son that we now call the holiday in our school "Fall Festival". This is done so we don't offend anyone. I have not wrapped my brain around this yet. I am particularly offended there is a St Patricks Day. Everyone dresses up in green, drinking green beer until they fall over, yet there is no St Joseph Day, honoring my patron Saint. I need to stand up for my rights. I wonder if I can sue the school district? Christmas is also called "Winter Holiday". This offends so many people the stores are decorated for 9 months out of the year with Christmas decorations. It surely doesn't seem to offend Walmart when they report the company's 1st quarter earnings which includes the Christmas tradition of "loading up the credit card"! We cannot use the word Christ at school, this too offends too many people. Easter will be next on the list to offend someone to be sure. We can call this holiday in my family "watch Uncle Bill drink so much Makers Mark and eat so much ham he needs a nap" holiday. I don't think this will offend anyone. I digress.

I was on the look out for my favorite pumpkin. Something original that caught my eye. The opposite of anything my talents lead me to every year. Three triangles and a jagged mouth. I used to be the apple of my sons eye until he realized there were other styles and ways to carve a pumpkin. The one pictured above was carved by Megan C. She is a very bright neighbor girl in the 2nd grade at our local Elementary. I happened upon her pumpkin as I had lost track of my son, as usual this night. The kids run wildly down the street, as the parents watch in amazement. Why couldn't he run that fast in our football game last week, someone mumbles. In this game of pumpkins, I found a winner that wouldn't offend anyone, other than her dad who oddly resembles the pumpkin! Sorry John! Nice job Meg!

History of the Jack-o-Lantern

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."

In Ireland and Scotland, people began to make their own versions of Jack’s lanterns by carving scary faces into turnips or potatoes and placing them into windows or near doors to frighten away Stingy Jack and other wandering evil spirits. In England, large beets are used. Immigrants from these countries brought the jack o’lantern tradition with them when they came to the United States. They soon found that pumpkins, a fruit native to America, make perfect jack o’lanterns.

Source: Parts from The History Channel