All Hallows Eve

     The tradition of pumpkin carving dates back into antiquity when our pre-historic ancestors carved into a variety of vegetables, namely beets, gourds, turnips and potatoes.  But the association of Jack o'-lanterns on All Hallows' Eve is widely considered to be of Irish in origin.  Turnips, mangelwurzel, or beets were often carved with grotesque faces, representing spirits or goblins.  These were used either as lanterns to guide those on the final day of October, or set on windowsills to keep harmful spirits away.

Modern carving of a Cornish Jack-o'-Lantern made from a turnip.

     
     The story of Jack of the Lantern seems to revolve around an Irish character known as Stingy Jack.  He tricked the Devil into not claiming his soul when he died.  But being such an unsavory individual he was unfit for Heaven.  The result was that he was left to roam the earth with only a burning lump of coal to guide him in the darkness.  Jack placed the burning coal into a gigantic carved turnip and has been roaming the terrestrial sphere ever since.  The citizens of Ireland and Scotland then also began to carve their own scary faces into vegetables to frighten away Stingy Jack and other wandering malevolent spirits.  Immigrants brought the Halloween tradition to America where the native pumpkin made a perfect canvas onto which were carved Jack o'-lantern faces.

     Just so you know, the world's largest jack o'-lantern, according to the Guinness Book of World Records was carved by Scott Cully in 2005 from a 1,469 pound pumpkin grown in Northern Cambria, PA by Larry Checken.

Friday I will be conducting extensive culinary research on aquatic life along the Rappahannock River in Virginia.  Thus there will be no VinnyPost that day.  Check out a full report of my travels beginning next Monday.

Vinny