Halloween is celebrated every year on October 31st. This tradition originated from ancient Celtic harvest festival. Halloween activities includes trick-or-treating, Halloween costume parties, and most important of all is carving jack-o-lanterns. Visiting a pumpkin patch to choose a right sized pumpkin to carve out jack-o-lantern is a tradition in US. Read more to know more about pumpkin patch and history behind the famous jack-o-lanterns.
QUICK LINKS
- History of Jack-o-lanterns
- Tale of Jack-o-lanterns
- Visit to a pumpkin patch
- Travel Tips to Pumpkin Patch.
History of Jack-o-lanterns
Pumpkins with spooky faces, illuminated by candles is a sign of Halloween season. This tradition of carving out Jack-o-lanterns started in Ireland. Jack-o-lanterns were carved out using large potatoes and turnips. Irish immigrants brought this tradition to America, home of pumpkins. Ever since then, pumpkins are being used to carve out jack-o-lanterns in USA.
Tale of Jack-o-lanterns
Wondering why these lanterns made out of pumpkins/potatoes/turnips named Jack-o-lantern? This is because of an Irish folk tale about a man named Jack, popularly known as “Stingy Jack”.
As per the story, Stingy jack invited a Devil to have a drink with him. True to his nickname, Stingy jack dint want to pay for the drink and he decided to trick devil. Jack requested devil to turn himself to a coin so that he can buy drinks. Devil agreed to Jack and turned himself to a coin. But Stingy jack decided not to buy drinks and kept the coins to himself next to a silver cross so that devil cant change back to its original form. Eventually Jack freed the devil under the condition that he would not bother Jack for one year and if Jack dies then he wouldn’t claim his soul.
After an year, Jack again tricked Devil to climb a tree to pick a fruit. While the devil was up in the tree, Jack carved a sign of cross into tree’s bark so that the Devil couldn’t come down until the Devil promised Jack not to bother him for the next 10 years. Devil agreed to Jack and also agreed not to claim Jack’s soul if he dies in the next ten years.
Soon after, Jack Died. But God wouldn’t allow such unsavoury figure into heaven and Devil to keep his words did not claim Jack’s soul. Jack was sent off in dark night with a burning coal. Jack put the coal into a carved turnip and it is said that he is roaming the Earth ever since. Irish began to refer this ghostly figure as “Jack of the Lantern” or “Jack O’Lantern”.
In Later years, Irish immigrants brought this custom of Jack O’lantern to US, home of Pumpkins. They started using Pumpkins to carve out Jack-O-Lanterns.
Visit to a pumpkin patch
Pumpkin patches can be seen almost everywhere in US during halloween season. But it is always fun to visit a pumpkin patch on a farm. One can select pumpkin of their choice laid out on the floor. Also get a sense of what farm looks like with farm animals around. Pumpkins of different size, shape, color can be seen at pumpkin patch.
We visited Joan’s Farm and Pumpkin patch at Livermore. Huge farm with lot of pumpkins to choose from and also fun activities for kids. Social distancing during COVID-19 was not a problem as the farm is large enough.
Travel Tips to Pumpkin Patch.
- Carry Sanitiser and follow social distancing during COVID times.
- Make sure to dress appropriately depending on the weather as the farms are open land with no shade.
- Do not sit on the pumpkins to snap pictures.
- Do not harm farm animals
- Carry camera to capture pictures of farm animals and of course pumpkins.
- Carry face masks if you have dust allergy as the farms are generally very dusty with people around.
