Pumpkins of Hollister
In the afternoon sun jack o’ lanterns sat on front stoops and
porches in Hollister long before goblins, ghosts and vampires
haunted the streets. Some of the pumpkins scowled in anger while
others wore a goofy grin.
Pumpkins of Hollister
In the afternoon sun jack o’ lanterns sat on front stoops and porches in Hollister long before goblins, ghosts and vampires haunted the streets. Some of the pumpkins scowled in anger while others wore a goofy grin.
The tradition of carving pumpkins originated in Great Britain and Ireland, where vegetables were sometimes carved into lanterns. It became associated with Halloween in 1866 because of an Irish folk tale. The tale tells of a lazy farmer named Jack who made a deal with the Devil, who promised never to take his soul. Because Jack was sinful, he couldn’t go to heaven, but was also barred from hell when he died. He carved a turnip lantern and wandered the Earth endlessly – he became known as “Jack of the Lantern.”
In North America, pumpkins became associated with the fall harvest and the two traditions eventually merged into the common annual pumpkin carving and lighting seen on doorsteps locally.
Information from Wikipedia.
