#114: A Brief History of Halloween and Recipe for Pumpkin Chiffon Pie
#114: A Brief History of Halloween and Recipe for Pumpkin Chiffon Pie
A little history of Halloween and recipe for Pumpkin Chiffon Pie
Samhain
Hello My Friends!
I’m back from my fall break and looking forward to sharing some of it with you, but first let’s celebrate Halloween. Will there be trick or treaters knocking on your door tonight? Oh how I remember those days when I was young and a small pack of us, usually dressed as hobos or ghosts with a pillow case in hand, would knock on doors hoping for a treat from the good dame who answered. My favorite candy back then was an Abba Zaba bar. What was yours?
Halloween, which is short for a “hallowed” or “holy” eve is celebrated from sunset on October 31st to sunset on November 1st. But before it was Halloween, it was known as Samhain (pronounced “sow-wen,”) an old word, an old festival, and a time full of many old traditions, too. It marks the passing of the harvest season (light) and the beginning of the winter (dark). It is summer’s end and some say also the time of the year when the veil is the thinnest between the worlds.
The Scots, and those who lived in the north of England, called it Nut Crack Night. On this night couples would whisper the name of their loved one represented by individual nuts—one for each of them— toss the nuts into the fire together, and then watch how they burn. If the nuts burn quietly together, then all is well. If they crack and burst? Well, I’ll leave that up to you to decide what that might mean.Apple bobbing is another old one. Did you know that the one who catches the biggest apple in their teeth just might be inline for the largest fortune, too?
I love old traditions and keep a few of them alive at my home. We’ve all heard of “knock on wood”? Does it surprise you that I keep a piece of wood in my car for those occasions when I need to knock on wood…three times. You’ll find more interesting ones in the October 1889 edition of Ladies Home Journal in “All Hallows Eve: A Nutting Shake and Other Games” by Mrs. A.G. Lewis.
Of course, one of the most fun and popular traditions that we take part in to this day is that of carving Jack-O-Lanterns and placing lighted candles inside to frighten away witches. A few decades ago, when I was in my serious homesteading phase, I grew sugar pie pumpkins for pie. Now I use canned pumpkin, a “modern” time saver that I really appreciate.
The Halloween Pumpkin
In the West there lived a maid,
She was a cook who knew her trade.
She baked sweet puddings and at harvest time,
She made delicious Pumpkin Pie.
Pumpkin Pie, Pumpkin Pie,
She made a special Pumpkin Pie,
Pumpkin Pie, Pumpkin Pie,
You never tasted such a Pumpkin Pie.
Now this young cook was in love with a man,
He was a gardener who worked the land,
He grew potatoes, beans and, O my,
Orange Pumpkins three feet high.
At the flower show he won the prize
For his Pumpkin of enormous size.
He gave it to the cook to try,
So she made a very special Pumpkin Pie.
She used eggs and milk and sweet brown sugar,
Cinnamon, nutmeg and some ginger.
Special spices, for she would try,
To woo the gardener with Pumpkin Pie.
After one spoonful, his eyes began to glaze,
After two mouthfuls, he fell into a daze.
‘My lovely cook, you’re the apple of my eye,
I’d like to taste some more of your Pumpkin Pie.’
Pumpkin Pie, Pumpkin Pie,
She made a special Pumpkin Pie,
Pumpkin Pie, Pumpkin Pie,
You never tasted such a Pumpkin Pie.
Now the gardener and the cook, they’re happy as can be,
Living together with children three,
They’ll be happy until they die,
With regular helpings of Pumpkin Pie.
Pumpkin Pie, Pumpkin Pie,
She made a special Pumpkin Pie,
Pumpkin Pie, Pumpkin Pie,
You never tasted such a Pumpkin Pie.
—By the ‘Pumpkin Pie’ Folksingers (from Festivals, Family, and Food, by Diana Carey and Judy Large)
And here’s the recipe for Pumpkin Chiffon Pie with a Graham Cracker Crust. Enjoy!