It is late August, and I have a pumpkin on my front porch, much to the annoyance of my wife. No, I am not pining for fall. Actually, I am but that’s not why it is there. I bought this pumpkin last September at a warehouse club store. It didn’t get carved and it’s still good-solid and sound. My wife has been urging me to throw it away all year. “I can’t” I tell her- “I have got to see how long it’s going to last”. My neighbor, two doors down rolls his eyes, “You know its summer, don’t you?” This has got to be a record-reusing the same real pumpkin for two Halloween’s and two Thanksgivings.
Why Pumpkins Are So Special
I love pumpkins. Growing up, my dog was named Punkin. For me pumpkins heralded the start of the fun season-that meant excitement, imagination, chilling thrills and pie.
A Brief History of the Pumpkin
Pumpkins are native to the Southwest U.S. down to South America. We humans have been growing domesticated pumpkins for nearly 5,000 years. Pumpkins are squash and come in a variety of sizes and colors from the traditional native oranges and tans, to white, yellow, striped, spotted, and to the Australian blues and the French reds. The world record for the heaviest pumpkin is 2,749 pounds and small varieties will fit in the palm of your hand. The French called them pompons, the English pompions, but it was American colonists who first called them pumpkins. The leaves, fruit, seeds and flowers are all eaten around the world mashed, baked, boiled, pureed, fried or roasted. Pumpkins offer health benefits to both humans and dogs.
Jack–O-Lanterns- Their History and a Holiday Tradition
In autumn, days change, the air turns crisp, the days become shorter and the cornfields fade to brown. When trees erupt in fiery shades comes the festival of the dying year-All Hallows Eve- Halloween. According to folklore it is the one night of the year when spirits can rise from the grave and walk the earth. Historically, Jack-O-Lanterns take their name from town night watchmen, called Jacks, who carried a lantern light on their predawn patrols. Irish folklore attributes the glow inside a jack-o-lantern to phantom lights called will-o-the wisps or fool’s lights that sometimes mysteriously appear and hover above peat bogs at night.
Originally, pumpkins were carved with fearsome images and lit with candles to frighten off the spooky spirits of the night. Their shivering candlelight illuminates the pumpkin flesh and the deeply craven grinning faces, sending a warm yellow-orange glow to autumn evenings that flickers and dances with the slightest breeze. This thrilling and eerie quality of light is not found at any other time of the year. The superstitious know to never extinguish a pumpkin flame on October 31st. The candle must burn out on its own. It’s bad luck to tempt fate on Halloween!
The Timeless Magic of Pumpkins
Today venturing off afield or to roadside stands to select the perfect pumpkin signals the start of great fun, imagination and excitement.
After all, pumpkins are more than decorations. So go ahead—pick your pumpkin, carve your masterpiece, and let its warm glow welcome the season.
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Cool