Why Do We Carve Pumpkins? The Odd History Behind Fall’s Favorite Traditions
Why do we carve pumpkins? Trace jack-o’-lanterns back to Irish turnips, learn where candy corn came from, and what to do with pumpkins after Halloween.
Every October, people sit down at the kitchen table with a knife, a big spoon, and a pumpkin, and scoop out the insides of a perfectly good squash so they can put a candle in it. It’s an odd thing to do when you stop and think about it. The explanation involves Irish folklore, a surprising amount of turnip, and a candy that started out as a farm-themed novelty.
Our fall bucket list covered what to do this season. This post goes the other direction and asks where these traditions came from, then covers what to do with the pumpkin once Halloween is over.
It started with turnips, not pumpkins
The jack-o’-lantern comes from Ireland and Scotland, where people carved faces into turnips, beets, and potatoes around the end of October. The custom was tied to Samhain, the old Gaelic harvest festival that marked the end of the growing season, and the glowing faces were meant to keep wandering spirits away from the door. A turnip is dense and stubborn to hollow out, which is worth remembering the next time a pumpkin feels like too much work.
Who was Jack?
The name comes from the folktale of “Stingy Jack,” a trickster who fooled the devil more than once and was turned away from both heaven and hell when he died. As the story goes, he was left to wander the dark with a single burning coal, which he carried inside a hollowed-out turnip. People called him “Jack of the Lantern,” and the name stuck. Versions of the tale vary from place to place, so it’s best read as folklore rather than recorded history.
How the pumpkin took over
Irish and Scottish immigrants brought the custom to North America in the 1800s, and the large wave of arrivals after the Irish famine of the 1840s helped it spread. Pumpkins were already at home here. They’re native to the Americas, and they’re bigger, softer, and far easier to carve than a turnip. The swap made sense, and over the following decades the carved pumpkin became the standard Halloween porch decoration.
Candy corn, corn stalks, and harvest decorations
The rest of fall’s classic imagery has farm roots too. Candy corn dates to the 1880s and is credited to George Renninger of the Wunderle Candy Company in Philadelphia. The Goelitz Candy Company, the business that later became Jelly Belly, began producing it in large quantities in 1898. It was shaped like a kernel of corn and marketed under farm names like “chicken feed,” which tells you how closely it was tied to rural life.
Corn stalks, hay bales, and gourds on the porch started the same way. They were the harvest itself, displayed because that’s what was in the yard. Decoration came later.
What to do with your pumpkin after Halloween
A pumpkin has a second life if you know where to send it. Start with a quick sort: an uncarved pumpkin can go to the kitchen, but one that has been carved and has sat outside with a candle in it for several days belongs in the compost.
Roast the seeds. Rinse off the pulp, dry the seeds, toss them with oil and salt, and bake at about 325°F for 20 to 30 minutes, stirring once or twice, until golden.
Make puree. Smaller sugar or “pie” pumpkins have the best flavor and texture, since large carving pumpkins tend to be stringy and watery. Cut the pumpkin in half, roast it cut-side down until fork-tender, then scoop and blend.
Feed the wildlife. Where local rules allow, an uncarved, unpainted pumpkin broken into pieces and set at the edge of the yard is a free meal for squirrels, birds, and deer.
Compost it. Remove candle wax, paint, and any decorations, then break the pumpkin into smaller pieces and bury them in the pile so they break down faster.
Frequently asked questions
Why do we carve pumpkins for Halloween?
The tradition comes from Irish and Scottish customs of carving lanterns out of turnips and other root vegetables at the end of the harvest season. Immigrants brought it to North America, where pumpkins were easier to carve.
What was the first jack-o’-lantern made from?
Turnips, along with beets and potatoes, in Ireland and Scotland. Pumpkins came later.
Can you eat a pumpkin after you carve it?
The seeds and flesh you scoop out at carving time are fine to cook. A pumpkin that has been carved and left outside for days, especially with a candle burning inside it, should go in the compost instead.
How long does a carved pumpkin last?
About three to five days in cool weather, and less if it’s warm or a candle is burning inside. An uncarved pumpkin can last for weeks in a cool, dry spot.
Keep the season going
Most fall traditions started with people making something out of whatever the harvest left behind. If you’d like to wear a little of the season, the Seasonal / Holiday page has pumpkin, jack-o’-lantern, and candy corn designs.
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