Pumpkin Carving
18/10/2020
It’s pumpkin picking season again! What better way to enjoy this lovely Autumnal weather than by visiting one of the many Pumpkin Patches across Greater Manchester? You can pick your own, carving them to create a spooky Halloween decoration, and using the filling to create delicious Soups, Breads and Desserts!
Last year Communicate School ran a social activity to a local Pumpkin Patch. Everyone had a great time trudging through the muddy fields and picking their preferred pumpkin. They were all brought back to school where we had a carving contest the following day to celebrate Halloween! Our Student Services and Finance Officer, Mariana, went along and had this to say:
“It was really nice to see all the children playing in the mud on the field – very cute. I loved being given the opportunity to learn more about this ancient and popular tradition, and being out in the fresh air with our students was very enjoyable. I wore wellies and had to wheel the wheelbarrow up and down for a while before I found the ‘perfect’ pumpkin! Later in school I carved a cat into it – I should definitely have won the competition! The best bit was eating the cake I made with the filling – I love pumpkin. I can’t wait to go again.”
The practice of decorating Jack-O-Lanterns began in Ireland, where shapes were originally carved into big turnips and potatoes! Irish immigrants took the tradition with them to America, switching to pumpkins because they were more readily available in the new world. They soon became the centre of Halloween tradition, thought to represent the souls of those who had died and ward off evil spirits. One of these evil spirits was Stingy Jack.
According to Irish legend, Jack tricked the devil twice; when he died God would not accept him into Heaven, and the Devil would not let him in Hell. He is doomed to wander the dark night for all eternity, with only a burning, carved-out turnip to light his way!
This Halloween, why not try and create one of these delicious recipes: Pumpkin dishes ?