Oct. 26 marked National Pumpkin Day, and Brooklyn certainly got into the holiday spirit.
Packed with vitamins A and C, potassium and magnesium, the bright orange winter squash is not only a nutritional powerhouse but, with the arrival of the Irish, became synonymous with Halloween.
The oldest pumpkin seeds date back to 7000-5500 B.C. in what is now Mexico, where Indigenous people cultivated the gourd as a vital food source during the long winter months. The tradition of carving pumpkins into “Jack-o’-lanterns” began when Irish immigrants arrived in the Americas.
For centuries, the Celts carved faces into vegetables such as turnips and potatoes to create lanterns that were believed to scare away evil spirits on the night of Samhain, the precursor to Halloween. When the Irish arrived in the Americas, they found pumpkins were much easier to carve than root vegetables.
Spooky fact: “Jack-o’-lantern” comes from an old Irish folk tale about a man named Stingy Jack, who tricked the devil. When he died, he was condemned to wander the Earth for eternity, forbidden to enter Heaven or Hell. To light his way, he received a burning coal from Hell, which he placed inside a hollowed-out turnip, creating the first Jack-o’-lantern.
Decorating New York City stoops during Halloween became popular in the late 20th century. Each season, residents showcase their creativity with elaborate, spooky designs. Even the “Great Pumpkin” makes an appearance in Park Slope. For the past decade, Park Sloper Charlie Pigott has decorated the stoop of his brownstone on Eighth Avenue between Union and Berkeley streets with eye-catching gourds that can weigh up to 1,000 pounds.
