Every fall, we welcome Halloween with joy and excitement. Children can see people wearing strange costumes playing on the streets and Halloween pumpkins with scary faces being used as decorations. Why did pumpkins become a symbol of Halloween and why do people carve scary faces on pumpkins? Let's answer all the above questions with Mykingdom!
Origin of Halloween pumpkins
Halloween pumpkins carved into lamps are also known by the English name Jack O'Lanterns. Perhaps this name comes from an old Irish legend about a stingy Jack.
According to the story, there was a guy named Jack who was stingy and invited the Devil to drink with him. But true to the name people call him, Jack is stingy and doesn't want to pay for his drinks. That's why he convinced the Devil to turn into a coin so he could pay for his drinks. Truly a very courageous person!
Stingy Jack invited the Devil out for a drink and tricked him
After the Devil turned into a coin, Jack turned around and kept the money in his pocket, placing the coin next to a silver cross. The cross prevented the Devil from returning to his original form. Even though the Devil threatened or begged, Jack refused to let go. In the end, Jack freed the Devil but with one condition, that he would not be allowed to bother Jack for a year and leave his soul in peace.
After that, Jack continued to meet the Devil again and somehow convinced the Devil to climb the tree to pick fruit. The Devil climbed up and Jack immediately carved a cross in the bark to stop him from coming down. Jack then forced the Devil to promise that the Devil would leave him alone for another ten years and would not be allowed to take his soul.
The legend of the Halloween pumpkin probably comes from the legend of Stingy Jack
Not long after that, Jack passed away and his soul ascended to heaven. It's sad that! God did not want stingy and selfish people like Jack to live in paradise, so he sent him back to hell.
The devil really hates Jack and of course he doesn't want Jack to stay in hell. Furthermore, the Devil must keep his promise not to take Jack's soul. So the Devil took Jack into the dark night, throwing him a burning coal to light the way. Jack put coal in a carved turnip and wandered around ever since. The thing he held in his hand is now known as Jack of the Lantern, or Jack O'Lantern for short.
Jack had to wander around with his turnip lamp
Why were pumpkins chosen as Halloween lights?
In Ireland, it is believed that stray spirits bring bad luck and damage crops. So they started creating their own versions of Halloween pumpkin lanterns. They think that the lamps need to have scary expressions to scare the spirits away.
By carving scary faces into turnips or potatoes and placing them in windows or near doors, the Irish hoped the lights could ward off Stingy Jack and other wandering evil spirits. .
Scary carved Halloween pumpkins to ward off wandering spirits
When Irish immigrants moved to the United States, they quickly discovered that pumpkins, a fruit native to America, made even more perfect lanterns than turnips. So they started replacing the Halloween lights from radishes to pumpkins to this day.
After completing the carving, the homeowner will place the jack-o-lantern in front of the house. The meaning of the Halloween pumpkin is to light the way for the wandering souls in the ocean. Thanks to that, those wandering ghosts will find the correct path and will not bother the homeowner.
Super easy way to carve pumpkin lanterns for the carnival
Step 1: Choose pumpkin
You must choose very old Halloween pumpkins with a certain thickness of skin, a beautiful orange color, and relatively even edges so the lights can stand firmly. Then wash the pumpkin thoroughly to remove dirt and soil stuck to the pumpkin body.
Step 2: Carve the pumpkin head
Use a small knife to carve a circle on the top of the pumpkin, then use a spoon to scoop out all the intestines. (Must be thoroughly cleaned because leftover pumpkin intestines will cause the pumpkin to become damp and quickly spoil)
You need to be very careful when carving the pumpkin head so you don't cut yourself
Step 3: Use a pen or small knife to sketch a face on the pumpkin
You can refer to the traditional way of drawing eyes, a triangular nose and a crescent-shaped mouth. This image is a bit scary, so if your baby doesn't like it, you should choose a more adorable image.
Pre-shaping will make it easier to cut out the eyes and nose
Step 4: Cut out the drawn part and "light up"
Use a knife to carefully carve out the previously sketched part, then put a candle or light in the middle and the Halloween pumpkin lamp is completed.
Carve out the squash according to the drawing and you're done
Children can bring their own lamp to the carnival or leave it as a decoration in front of the house or on the family party table on Halloween.
So Mykingdom has explained to the child the story of the Halloween pumpkin . The legend being told is truly extremely fascinating, isn't it? Have you prepared any costumes for this Halloween season? Refer to the article now: Ideas and ways to choose unique Halloween costumes
