Fall is a season of celebrations, and one of the most popular celebrations during this season is Halloween. Halloween is a festival of pumpkins, costumes, and candies, but it’s not just about the fun and frolic. It’s also about spending time with family and loved ones. As for me, I have a special love for Halloween because it offers endless opportunities to be creative with pumpkins.

 The history of jack-o-lanterns dates back to ancient Ireland, where people used to carve demonic faces out of turnips to ward off the spirit of Stingy Jack, a notorious trickster who was sentenced to wander the earth for eternity. Later, when Irish immigrants moved to the U.S., they started carving pumpkins instead of turnips, as pumpkins were native to the region. But how did jack-o’-lanterns become associated with Halloween? 

To understand this, we need to go back to the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain, which marked the end of summer and the beginning of the new year on November 1st. During Samhain, it was believed that the souls of the dead would visit their homes, and people wore disguises to hide from them. The Roman Catholic Church then moved All Saints Day to November 1st, and Halloween, or All Hallows’ Eve, fell on October 31st. 

The story of Stingy Jack was quickly incorporated into Halloween, and we’ve been carving pumpkins ever since. Carving pumpkins is now a new tradition to celebrate Halloween. It’s a way to express your creativity and celebrate the spirit of Halloween with your loved ones.