Great “Gourds” Almighty! Did you ever wonder how the custom of carving scary faces into hollowed-out pumpkins or “Jack O’ Lanterns” at Halloween came about? The term Jack O’ Lantern came from the 17th century British Isles. “Jack” was the common name given to men whose names were unknown. Thus an unfamiliar man carrying a lantern would be referred to as “Jack of the Lantern” The term also refers to mysterious flickering lights caused by gases from rotting plants in the marshes where the Irish folklore of “Stingy Jack”, a miserly man whose soul was not allowed to enter either heaven or hell, was forced to roam the Earth with a lighted turnip. Modern science explains the lights as phosphorescence which is not nearly as spooky!
Halloween in America has roots that go back to medieval Pagan and Christian celebrations of “All Hallows Eve” or “night of the dead”. The Celtic custom of hollowing and carving of potatoes, turnips, beets, and other root veggies and lighting them with embers to scare off evil spirits , was brought to America by Irish immigrants. Going house to house to beg a “soul cake” in return for praying for the souls of the dead was also common. Pumpkins, native to North America, were more plentiful than root vegetables and perfect for carving faces. They soon became the preferred choice for Jack O’ Lanterns. These customs evolved into our modern version of Halloween.
Consider growing pumpkins and/or various gourds next year for your very own Halloween traditions. These fruits are a type of squash and are members of the Cucurbitaceae family. Gourds are used more for decorative purposes or as household items as they have a thick skin and taste bitter. They are warm season plants that can be grown either by seed or transplants. Cucurbits can be a promiscuous so be sure to use seed that has not been grown close to other varieties of cucurbits. On the other hand, it may be fun to see what happens!