Whats the significance of the pumpkin on haloween?

Answer 1

In Ireland and Scotland, people began to make their own versions of Jack’s lanterns by carving scary faces into turnips or potatoes and placing them into windows or near doors to frighten away Stingy Jack and other wandering evil spirits. In England, large beets are used. Immigrants from these countries brought the jack o’lantern tradition with them when they came to the United States. They soon found that pumpkins, a fruit native to America, make perfect jack o’lanterns.

You may enjoy reading how it all began.
http://www.jack-o-lantern.com/history/

Blessings )O(

Answer 2

The pumpkins seemed to be about the same size as heads. During the dark ages, people used the pumpkins to replace straw heads which were always taking by mischievous crows. During exceptionally dark days or nights(All-hollows eve, for example), people saw these figure's outlines in the dusk and told the other farmers of horrid tall figures in their fields. As it turned out, they were just the pumpkin-headed friends. Those who saw them considered them to be witches that transformed themselves when they were discovered. What the farmers did after wards was interesting. They took the pumpkins from the ground, dug out the seeds, carved faces on them, and put candles inside to supposedly scare off the "evil-doers". Soon pumpkins became the symbols for demonic themes, then later the "Headless Horseman", who searched for his true head while beheading others who had one(he had a pumpkin temporarily). Later, the villagers found a human skeleton with a pumpkin for a head.(the pumpkin grew inside the man's skull and destroyed it inside-out).After time, however, the pumpkin became just simple decoration, and it's true origin was lost. So all in all, the striped fruit has a multiple purpose. It's a fruit because it has seeds.

Answer 3

the person who wrote about the tradition coming from Ireland and turnips is spot on with the historical aspect. For a lot of people, Halloween is also known at the 3rd Harvest, and that's when the winter squashes are at their peaks - the biggest, and some say the tastiest being the Pumpkin!

Answer 4

I believe it came from the folklore, about the headless horseman.
He used a carved pumpkin in place of his missing head.
Hope this helps.

Answer 5

I think it has become a symbol of Halloween simply because pumpkins and squash are being harvested around that time.

Answer 6

well in the old times pumpkin was used to warn off evil spirits, i guess it just stuck hah

Answer 7

I don't know exactly what it is, but I think they were used to scare the evil spirits that supposedly came out on Halloween Night

Answer 8

Hasn't the punpkin always seem a sinister food?

Answer 9

the headless horseman,pumpkin pie,jack-o-laterns

Answer 10

to be sold so that people who raise them can make a lot of money!!