BY: RACHEL WUMKES
The epic event of pumpkin carving is always a grand occurrence in our house. We start out with the best of intentions. I make sure we have ample supplies for the evening to begin. Designs are planned, tools sharpened, and papers spread across the kitchen table.
We are gung-ho and ready to carve!
It takes about 3 scoops of the slimy, stringy guts before the first kid drops out. By the time we are ready for the main event, I tend to be alone in the kitchen, tired, sweaty, and left with multiple hollow pumpkin shells and a slew of broken dreams.
The children scatter, hiding away in their corners of the house playing with Lego’s and doing other things, while I slave away on my own, carving out intricate masterpieces for them.
Who am I kidding? I do triangle eyes and a toothy smile every time!
The children do, however, emerge from the shadows when the tedious work is complete. Usually just as I’m removing the piping-hot seeds from the oven. On a side note… if you don’t cook these, you definitely need to try it! After washing the seeds, I simply place on a cookie sheet, drizzle with olive oil and salt and stick them in the oven for a bit. It’s a fun, crunchy little snack!
Anywho, the entire process this year really got me thinking. Who started this? And why?
Well, it’s kind of a crazy story actually, and quite fitting for the spookiness of this time of year. It seems the practice dates to a centuries-old Irish myth about a man named Stingy Jack. Legend has it, Jack shared a drink one night at a bar with the Devil himself, and then tricked him into picking up the tab. Jack wasn’t just stingy… but a bit on the sneaky side.
Shortly after, Jack died. Because of his cheating ways, he was not allowed into Heaven. But the Devil hadn’t forgotten him either. So instead of being banished to the fiery pits of Hell, he was forced to roam the Earth with only a piece of coal to light his way. He hallowed out a turnip and put the burning piece of coal inside, making a lantern of sorts to keep the darkness at bay.
The townsfolk began to refer to the ghostly creature as Jack of the Lantern (Jack O’ Lantern) and began carving out whatever vegetables they could find to set them on their porch in order to save themselves from his haunting ways.
Over time the ritual made its way to the Americas with the many immigrants. Soon, the tradition turned to the American fruit, the pumpkin, and has been around ever since.
The story, however, has since been lost over the years. Nowadays, carving pumpkins is synonymous with family fun time (or in my case, stress and sweat) and used to create fun, happy decorations for the many trick or treaters to enjoy! In fact, some people have even chosen to paint the orange Halloween icon, turning it into something altogether different!
Whether you carve or paint, the act itself is a fun family activity. And while my personal pumpkin carving skills are sorely lacking, others seem to create incredible masterpieces.
This year, as you make the rounds in Clear Lake to trick or treat, be sure to check out all the crafty masterpieces people have carved.
But be sure to keep your eyes peeled for Stingy Jack. I heard he likes to come out on Halloween night for a good scare.