Turnip lanterns

[Andrew C.]

It's comming to that time of year when children go guising and making lanterns out of veg. I am trying to make a stance on the use of turnips instead of the American pumpkins so I was taken aback when I looked at Wikipedia and it said that the tradition of making lanterns out of veg. started across the water and then came here. Surely not. I have always believed that when the Scots/Irish went to the colonies turnips where not in ready supply so pumpkins where used instead. I know you can't believe anything on Wikipedia, and the authors argument that there was no documented evidence to say that we were doing this first means nothing to me. What is it with historians why do they need written evidence when oral tradition are every bit as valid?

[Roxy]

Andrew,

I'm in your gang!

Tumshies all round!

Roxy

[LesleyB]

This seems to back up the idea that it started here first:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/northernireland/au ... tern.shtml

The people of Ireland kept the tradition alive every Hallowe'en by placing candles inside hollowed out turnips. When many of them travelled to America, with the mass emigration of the 1800's, they found that turnips were not so available.

Instead, they used the more plentiful pumpkin, which did the trick just as well. In recent years in Ireland, it's the turnip which has been used less, as imports of pumpkins have become the norm. Yet another example of US culture spreading around the world.

Anyone who has ever hollowed out a turnip will know that had there been pumpkins available at the time, they would have been the preferred choice!!

Best wishes
Lesley

[Ina]

Hi Andrew,

You bring back memories. I remember carving those turnips.......much easier to carve a pumpkin

I think Halloween was more fun in Scotland. Children didn't get treats for nothing, they had to perform. The old saying I remember was "sing a song, do a dance, show your bum or out you go" Probably not PC in this day and age.

Of course back then children didn't have to worry about being invited into strangers homes. Different story nowadays.....very sad indeed.

[Roxy]

No-one ever said it was going to be easy!



Roxy

[joette]

I have to confess that it will be a pumpkin lanterns which will be gracing our Beaver Colony Halloween party- with torches inside instead of candles.Lighter to carry & easier to carve.
I loved to carve out the turnip when I was wee but my fingers are not so nimble now.
My Great-granny had turnip lanterns at her childhood Halloween & they would go out "scaring" away the ghoulies with them.She was born in the late 1860'

[emanday]

The trick with the turnip was to let it get a wee bit old. Just till it gets a wee bit spongy (not too much mind or it would fall apart.
Much easier to carve out.

[Russell]

Aye, and the bits carved out taste just as good chappit up along wi haggis and tatties.

Russell

[emanday]

Aye, and the bits carved out taste just as good chappit up along wi haggis and tatties.

Och Russell, now you've got ma mooth waterin'

[Andrew C.]

"Jack O'Lantern was a blacksmith, a lost soul, to whom the Devil gave a hollowed out turnip in which was placed a burning coal ember. He was doomed to roam the Earth forever. So, today, we have the tradition of the turnip lantern. In the USA where the turnip was not so widespread, a pumpkin was used."

Just found this reference on a site. I don't think there is any doubt wikipedia giving mis information again.