31/10/2026
Turnip was the original jack’o’lantern 🎃
In the National Museum of Ireland is a cast of an original 19th century ghost turnip.
Long before pumpkins became a Halloween staple in America, Irish and Scottish families carved turnips in Celtic tradition to ward off “Stingy Jack” and other wandering spirits during Samhain.
Fun fact: Immigrants in America later switched to pumpkins because they were larger, native to the region, and significantly softer to carve than rock-hard turnips!
And what other read is more suitable for this day than the American Gothic story The Legend of Sleepy Hollow? 🐴🌘
