Every Halloween, people carve scary faces into pumpkins and place them outside their homes. These pumpkins often have a light inside and are called Jack-o’-Lanterns. But have you ever wondered why people do this? Here’s why this Halloween tradition started and became such a big part of the festival.
Story Behind The Scary Halloween Pumpkins
Halloween is celebrated every year on October 31. People believe that on this day, the boundary between the human world and the spirit world disappears, allowing ghosts and spirits to walk the earth. The day is mostly celebrated in the West by hosting spooky-themed parties, wearing ghost-like costumes and watching scary movies. But India is also slowly catching up, and many cities here celebrate Halloween too.
There is also a tradition of carving scary faces into pumpkins. But have you ever wondered why it started? According to an old Irish legend, there was once a man called Stingy Jack. He used to do bad things and even tricked the devil. After his death, he could not enter heaven or hell and was punished to roam the earth for eternity with a hollowed-out turnip holding a burning coal to light his way. People called this man Jack-o’-lantern.
Carved Pumpkins Are Placed Outside Homes
According to Encyclopedia Britannica, every year, people in Ireland began carving scary faces into turnips or potatoes to ward off the evil spirit of Jack-o’-lantern. When Irish people immigrated to America, they brought this tradition with them. Since pumpkins were native to the region and easier to carve, people started using them instead.
Carved pumpkins with scary faces and lights inside are often placed outside doors or near windows on Halloween night. The tradition is believed to ward off the spirit of Stingy Jack and other evil spirits believed to roam around on Halloween.
How to carve a pumpkin on Halloween?
So, this Halloween, if you want to ward off evil spirits, why not make your own spooky pumpkin? Here’s how you can do it:
- Buy a pumpkin and carefully cut off its top to make a lid.
- Take out the flesh from inside and scrape out all the seeds.
- Draw a simple face on the pumpkin. It is advised to draw eyes and nose in the shape of a triangle, as they are easier to cut out.
- Take a knife and carefully cut along the lines. Push the cut-out pieces out from the inside.
- Wipe away any remaining marker marks with a damp cloth.
- Place a battery-powered tea light inside, put the lid back on, and you are done!
Your carved pumpkin is ready. Place it outside your home to boo away the ghosts!
So, how are you celebrating Halloween this year?
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FAQs
When is Halloween celebrated?
Halloween is celebrated every year on October 31.
How can you celebrate Halloween?
You can celebrate Halloween by dressing up in costumes, decorating your home with spooky-themed decor, carving pumpkins and hosting gothic parties.
What can we wear to a Halloween party?
You can wear a ghost, witch, vampire or other spooky costumes to a Halloween party.
