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For kids, Halloween is one of the best holidays. Costumes, candy, pumpkin pie, and jack-o'-lanterns; it really doesn't get much better. Pumpkins and Halloween go hand in hand, but have you ever wondered why?
What do jack-o'-lanterns have to do with Halloween? The tradition dates back to 18th century legend and ancient Celtic traditions and folk tales. One of these tales tells the story of a miserable old trickster, Stingy Jack, who liked to play tricks on the devil, often on All Hallow's Eve.
As one story goes, one night Jack convinced the devil to climb up into an apple tree and while he was up there, Jack cut crosses around the trunk of the tree so that the devil was stuck up in the branches. The devil bargained with Jack, promising to leave him alone if he would only let him down.
Years later when Jack died, he was refused entry to Heaven, but because the devil stayed true to his word, Jack could not enter Hell either, thus he was cursed to an eternal life as a spirit in limbo.
"As Jack left the gates of Hell, the Devil threw him a hot ember to light the way in the dark. Jack placed the ember in a hollowed-out turnip and wandered off into the world," according to Tom Harris on howstuffworks.com.
The legend has been passed down, and that Jack's spirit may be seen on All Hallow's Eve, still carrying his lantern. From this legend jack-o'-lanterns have made their way into Halloween culture, with the notable difference that pumpkins are now used instead of turnips.
"Folk tradition held that they would ward off Stingy Jack and other spirits on Halloween, and they also served as representations of the souls of the dead. Irish families who emigrated to America brought the tradition with them, but they replaced the turnips with the more plentiful pumpkins," wrote Harris. "As it turns out, pumpkins were easier to carve than turnips. People began to cut frightening faces and other elaborate designs into their jack-o'-lanterns."
The jack-o'-lantern has lost some of its traditional significance over the years, but the fun of carving pumpkins hasn't been. Pumpkin carving is a quick and fun activity and a study break for the college student.
Any size pumpkin can be carved, but the bigger, the better. Start by cutting a circle at the top of the pumpkin, around the stem, making the whole big enough to fit your hand in, if not bigger. (Do not cut out just the stem; make sure that you are taking a large enough circle off the top.)
Once you have a hole, next you have to clean out the inside of the pumpkin. You can try to use a knife, but in the end, your hands will work best. There's no skill or strategy involved. Just get as much out as you can, and in the process, separate the seeds to cook later on.
For those who are artistically inclined, going free hand on the pumpkin may work, but sketching out a template is usually a good idea before you start. Next, trace that template on the pumpkin, using either a pen or a sharpie, but keep nail polish remover around later to clean off the marks.
Now it's time to take a knife to the pumpkin. The only warning here is to be careful of carving small parts, such teeth, which easily break off. When possible, carve straight lines and take out small sections one by one.
After all the carving is finished, place a candle inside the pumpkin (though not while you are in the dorms), light it, and replace the top.
Stingy Jack would be proud.
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