Halloween is a season with many traditions that hail back to Celtic origins. One that I am glad is no longer in use is that of the ghost turnip. Much like our modern Jack-O-Lanterns, people would carve out the turnips. They would add a gruesome face and light the creepy disembodied heads from the inside.
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More than 2,000 years ago, on Halloween, Irish people used turnips, a root vegetable, to scare off ghosts. They began by hollowing out turnips and carving frightening faces in them. When the sun set, the turnips had candles inside to light them. We’re not sure if it scared the ghosts, but it would definitely scare small children!
Did ghost turnips migrate to the Americas with Irish immigrants? They may have, but it wasn’t long before new settlers found pumpkins. The large orange fruits were more readily available and much easier to carve. Halloween celebrations are similar around the world. Many traditions differ from country to country, but most originated in Ireland.
The night of Samhain (pronounced Sow-Wen), is when the veil between the worlds of the living and the dead is thinnest. On All Hallow’s Eve, people believe spirits can easily pass between the worlds. Ghost turnips and elaborate, scary costumes were “necessary” to ward off evil spirits. That has transformed into our modern Halloween celebration with Jack-O-Lanterns and costumes.
In the United States, Halloween decorations include witches, gravestones, skeletons, and Jack-O-Lanterns. Children dress in costumes ranging from their favorite superheroes to animals. Most costumes are premade and relatively generic. “Scary” is less important to kids. Grab a bucket and get some candy!
Please share this if ghost turnips made you smile (or grimace).
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