The practice of making
Jack-o-lanterns originated from an Irish myth about a man nicknamed "Stingy Jack" who invited the Devil to have a drink with him. True to his name, Stingy Jack didn't want to pay for his drink, so he convinced the Devil to turn himself into a coin that Jack could use to buy their drinks. Once the Devil did so, Jack decided to keep the money and put it into his pocket next to a silver cross, which prevented the Devil from changing back into his original evil form.
Jack eventually freed the Devil, under the condition that he would not bother Jack for one year and that, should Jack die, he would not claim his soul. The next year, Jack again tricked the stupid Devil into climbing into a tree to pick a piece of fruit. While he was up in the tree, Jack carved a sign of the cross into the tree's bark so that the Devil could not come down until the Devil promised Jack not to bother him for ten more years.
Soon after, Stingy Jack died. As the legend goes, God would not allow such an unsavory figure into heaven. The Devil, upset by the trick Jack had played on him and keeping his word not to claim his soul, would not allow Jack into hell. He sent Jack off into the dark night with only a burning coal to light his way. Jack put the coal into a carved out pumpkin and has been roaming the Earth with it ever since. The Irish refered to this ghostly figure as "Jack of the Lantern," and then, simply "Jack O'Lantern."
Fun Pumpkin Facts
► Antarctica is the only continent where pumpkins won’t grow.
► Morton, Illinois is the "pumpkin capital" of the world.
► The Irish brought the tradition of pumpkin carving to America, but the tradition actually started with turnips.
► The
largest pumpkin pie ever made was over five feet in diameter and weighed over 350 pounds. It used 80 pounds of cooked pumpkin, 36 pounds of sugar, 12 dozen eggs and took six hours to bake.
► Pumpkins were once recommended for removing freckles and curing snake bites.
► The largest pumpkin ever grown weighed 1,140 pounds.
► Pumpkins are 90 percent water.
► Eighty percent of the pumpkin supply in the United States is available in October.
Location: Fog Willow Pumpkin Farm - Wilton, California
