Halloween Pumpkin A key symbol of Halloween that many often see involves carving pumpkins into scary faces to decorate homes, streets, or even wear on the head with spooky costumes. Thairath Online explores the legend and history behind the carved pumpkin face. Halloween Pumpkin In this article
Halloween (English: Halloween) falls on October 31 each year. One familiar symbol is the “ Halloween pumpkin ” or the carved pumpkin face, which originates from an Irish folk legend.“Jack O'Lantern”(Jack O'Lanterns) refers to a drunken man who successfully tricked a demon.
Jack O'Lantern was a cunning drunkard who feared no one, not even demons or devils. One day, he encountered a demon appearing before him. Instead of being scared, he continuously tricked the demon.
Jack tricked the demon into climbing a tree, then quickly carved a cross at the tree's base, preventing the demon from coming down. They agreed that when Jack died, the demon would not take his soul to hell. The demon agreed to this deal in exchange for being freed from the tree.
When Jack died, he refused to go to heaven or hell. The demon gave him only a burning coal to providewarmthand light to guide him through cold, dark nights. Jack hollowed out a turnip and placed the coal inside, becoming a wandering spirit holding a glowing turnip lantern.
Because turnips were scarce, people switched to using pumpkins, hollowing them out, lighting them from within, and carving scary faces, turning them into a symbol of Halloween.
Beyond Jack O'Lantern's legend, there is a belief that Halloween pumpkins with carved faces can ward off evil, ghosts, and demons. This is why many people place pumpkins at their doorsteps, hang them on doors, or display them around their homes.
Halloween pumpkins commonly used include varieties like Jack-O'-Lantern, Fairytale, and Long Island Cheese. They are chosen for their large size, hard shells, smooth surfaces, and bright orange color, making them easy to carve. While these pumpkins are edible, their taste may not be as good as pumpkins grown specifically for cooking.
Halloween 2026 features many celebratory activities such as carving Halloween pumpkins into scary faces for decoration, dressing up and applying ghostly makeup for parties, or for those who prefer to stay home, playingfun ghost-themed gamesor watchinghorror moviesto enjoy a spooky atmosphere just as thrilling.
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