Halloween Once Called For Carving Turnips
“Start with ancient pre-Christian rituals. Add a dose of the macabre and a pinch of the poppycock. Season generously with fact and folklore. Stir vigorously, and you end up with Halloween.”
This holiday recipe, along with dozens of other Halloween facts, myths and customs can be found in “Holiday Folklore, Phobias and Fun” written by Donald E. Dossey.
Of all the customs and folklore that surround Halloween, the one that is probably the most symbolic is the jack-o’-lantern. The origins of this character are interesting and varied.
The name jack-o’-lantern comes from an old Irish tale. It goes something like this: “Upon his death, a man named Jack was forbidden to enter heaven because of the stingy way he treated his wife and his dealings with the devil. He wasn’t allowed to enter hell either, because of the tricks he played on the devil. The devil threw Jack a hot coal so that he could see his way around in the dark. Jack caught the hot coal and put it into a turnip he had partially eaten. Ever since, Jack has been wandering the universe carrying his lantern.”
According to historians, jack-o’-lanterns were originally carried by the Scottish children. They were made from large turnips, not pumpkins. The children called them bogies and carried them on All Hallows Eve to scare away the witches. This is where the term bogeyman comes from. The Irish carved out potatoes and turnips, while the English preferred carving beets, which they called mangelwurzels.
It wasn’t until the Irish and Scottish people came to America that they discovered the pumpkin. These fall fellows with their symmetrical shapes and flat bottoms were a natural for taking over jack-o’-lantern duties. However, the pumpkins of long ago were not the pumpkins of today. Although they contained edible seeds, they were more gourd-like with bitter flesh.
Even the carving of the pumpkin has become a new art form. Though the triangular eyes, mouth and a few jagged teeth still remain the traditional face of the lantern, jack-o’-lanterns have taken on a whole new expression. Today’s lantern faces may be elaborately chiseled into or even painted onto the pumpkin. Electric lights or strings of Christmas lights often replace candles. Stacking pumpkins, each with its own expressive face, has also become quite popular. We even have special books to instruct us in the art of carving, along with special carving tools.
The lanterns of today don’t even require a face. We can carve just about any shape we wish into the flesh of the pumpkin, gourd or winter squash. In the October issue of Martha Stewart Living, Martha demonstrates cutting leaf patterns into pumpkins. And they are beautiful.
Simply tape a selection of fall leaves to the outside of the pumpkin. Trace the leaf onto the pumpkin with a pencil. You can either cut the leaf’s shape completely out of the pumpkin, or you can show off your artistic abilities by peeling away the rind inside the leaf shape and exposing the flesh. Light will glow through the flesh if a 40 watt bulb is used inside the pumpkin.
If you would like to add a bit of the very old tradition to your festive decorations, try carving out a few turnips. Cut off the tops and hollow them out with a melon baller. Draw on the faces with a pencil and cut them out. If you would like to hang them, (they are great grouped together in 3’s or 5’s), simply poke a small hole on each side of the turnip. Cut a piece of twine to the desired length and thread the ends through each hole. Knot the ends, set a tea candle in each one and hang them for the fun of it, not to ward off evil spirits.
May the glow of your jack-o’-lanterns light the way for all our little goblins this Halloween eve.
, DataTimes The following fields overflowed: CREDIT = Phyllis Stephens The Spokesman-Review