There is no such as thing as a Halloween without an emptied and carved pumpkin! Shining from the inside, they often have frightening smiles such as the famous Jack-o'-lantern. But these veggie night lights were not always pumpkins...
Initially there was Samain
Halloween – which name apparently comes from All Hallows-Eve – takes place on October 31st on the eve of All Saints Day. However, before it was converted by Christianism, it was probably a Celtic or Pagan holiday called Samain celebrated in Ireland and Scotland. Over the course of several days, it likely marked the end of the year and the beginning of the new year. At night, the frontiers between the living and the dead were open. Spirit came to visit humans who – to mislead them or ward them off – would wear scary costumes.
The Jack-o'-lantern turnip
Since we are talking about spirits, Jack-o'-lantern is the most popular character of Halloween. He comes from an Irish tale where a man named Jack faced the devil. Upon his death, he was condemned to wander for ever without ever being able to access paradise or hell until the Last Judgement with for only light: a glowing amber in a hollow turnip. The legend says Jack reappears each year on Halloween night to haunt the living. Historically, Halloween star vegetable was thus... the turnip!
From turnips to pumpkins
So, how come we use pumpkins or any other orange squash nowadays? One of the explanations could be a major event in Irish history: the massive emigration of Irish people to the United States during the Great Famine which - between 1845 to 1852 – saw almost all the island’s potatoes destroyed by mildew. Turnips being rarely grown on American lands; newcomers fell back on a local vegetable both plentiful in autumn and each to work with: pumpkin! And voilà! This is how pumpkins took over for turnips…