A Spooky Pumpkin Contest…

The tradition of carving Jack-O-Lanterns every Halloween started years and years ago in Ireland. Back then, people would carve turnips or potatoes and place embers in them to ward off evil spirits. When the Irish immigrants came to America, they brought the enthralling custom with them. It was there that they discovered a perfect fruit for carving Jack-O-Lanterns: the pumpkin.

The tradition itself started with an old Irish myth about a man named Stingy Jack. Jack invited the Devil for a drink, but Jack of course didn’t want to pay for his drink. He persuaded the Devil to turn himself into a coin, which Jack then placed into his pocket next to a silver cross, preventing the Devil from assuming his original form. He eventually freed him but not before making a deal with the Devil that he wouldn’t claim his soul if Jack were to die. Soon enough, Jack tricked the Devil again in a similar fashion and not long after that, Jack passed away. God didn’t want to allow a man like Jack into heaven, and the Devil stayed true to his word, leaving Jack as a spirit in the human world. With only a ember coal to light his way, Jack placed it in a carved turnip and became known as Jack of the Lantern.

Of course, here at ACP, traditions aren’t that different. For Halloween this year, ACP’s faculty and staff carved and decorated their own pumpkins for a Jack-O-Lantern contest. On Wednesday, October 31st (Halloween), students were able to vote during lunch on the best pumpkins to choose a winner. The winner of this year’s contest is Mrs. McCaulou!  Congratulations to her for the amazing, adorable doughnut pumpkins she made that were even filled with coffee beans!

Below are some pictures of the cool and creative Jack-O-Lanterns some of the staff created.