I know kids like to cut faces out of the pumpkins but why?
What connection do they have with Halloween?
Why not use a watermelon it's about the same size and would probably work.
2006-10-19 18:16:05 · 7 answers · asked by Sarah S 3 in Food & Drink ➔ Other - Food & Drink
Pumpkins are a fall fruit. They take quite a long time to ripen and October is their optimum harvest time. Watermelons would work, but they are more a summer fruit. Although many fruits are available all year round now (because they are shipped from different hemisphere's in a very short time), when the tradition of carving pumpkins began, watermelons were probably not available.
Check out these sites on the origin of the Jack O'Lantern:
http://www.spelwerx.com/jackolantern.html
http://njnj.essortment.com/jackolantern_reuu.htm
http://www.urbanext.uiuc.edu/pumpkins/history.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_o_lantern
2006-10-19 18:26:39 · answer #1 · answered by SympatheticEar 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Pumpkins were used at this time of year as they were seasonal. celebrating the harvest and the celtic new year all fell at the same time, including all the autumn vegetables.
The actual traditional vegetable used by the celts was a turnip but i suggest it became pumpkins as they are easier to hollow out and come in a greater variety of sizes!
HAPPY HALLOWEEN!
2006-10-20 02:17:42 · answer #2 · answered by Andromeda Newton™ 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Using pumpkins as lanterns at Halloween is based on an ancient Celtic custom brought to America by Irish immigrants. All Hallows Eve on October 31st marked the end of the old Celtic calendar year. On that night hollowed-out turnips, beets and rutabagas with a candle inside were placed on windowsills and porches to welcome home spirits of deceased ancestors and ward off evil spirits and a restless soul called “Stingy Jack.”
2006-10-20 01:27:33 · answer #3 · answered by eden 2 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Pumkin is an easy material for a Jack-o-lantern.
No other material is so esy to cut and is safe to put a candle inside. Especially in the old days.
I think they use pumkins because pumkins are chaper and because watermelons were not availabe in the area of the world where Halloween originated.
2006-10-20 01:23:31 · answer #4 · answered by Snowflake 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Probably because of the myth about the guy who wasn't admitted to heaven and hell. He was cursed to stay on Earth forever, so he took the Pumpkin, carved a face on it and placed a candle inside. So he'll have a light when he walks around.
2006-10-20 01:25:59 · answer #5 · answered by Mau.Dreizehn 1 · 1⤊ 1⤋
I beleive its because pumpkins are late harvesters, they are ready to pick at about the same time as haloween, plus their ugly. Thats just an opinion.
2006-10-20 01:26:15 · answer #6 · answered by jambox 2 · 0⤊ 2⤋
Just more 'burger culture' inflicted on the world by the USA.
Great.
2006-10-20 02:40:10 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 2⤋