Who doesn’t love pumpkins? Rolling up your sleeves, digging out the guts of these large gourds, spending time and creativity carving anything from silly faces to scary houses, and putting them on your front porch in hopes that the local squirrels don’t devour them for lunch before the eve of Halloween….sound familiar? Are we all cursed with festive motivation to partake in this insane ritual? I think so.
A little history lesson….
Creating these pumpkin masterpieces, better known as jack-o-lanterns, is a tradition that has been taking place for centuries. An Irish myth of a man known as Stingy Jack is what started this now multi-million dollar industry in the U.S. To make a long story short, the jack-o-lanterns are placed on the front porch of homes to ward off wandering evil spirits, such as Stingy Jack, during the time when the veil to the spirit world is at its thinnest and most vulnerable… Halloween Night.
Though, jack-o-lanterns were originally created from turnips, beets and/or potatoes, but as the world has evolved, the tradition has morphed into pumpkins, a native American fruit that has the perfect shape for crazy faces. With this tradition, an American dream was born. A profitable business for many farmers across the US as the jack-o-lantern craze has expanded into farmer’s markets, roadside stands, local grocery stores, fundraising pumpkin patches for non-profit organizations, Halloween festival pumpkin patch events, and of course, the wholesale market that sells to our big box chain stores. About 1.5 billion pounds of pumpkins are produced each year on 75,000 acres of farmland. Of course, this does not include our local backyard pumpkin enthusiasts.
TJC’s annual tradition….4 years now….
TJC jumped on the Halloween festivity bandwagon a few years ago, and we are currently in the midst of our 4th Annual TJC Pumpkins In Disguise Contest (previously known as Decorating Contest). We found that the carving was too messy and didn’t last long enough for our efforts. Instead, we now choose to put our endeavors of team building, community inclusion and seasonal wonder into decorating the most awesome pumpkins in Central Park (formerly Stapleton)! Check out our Facebook, Twitter Page or Instagram Page starting on Monday, October 23rd. You may also stop by our office to vote for your favorite jack-o-lantern . Though they may not all scare off Stingy Jack, they will definitely entertain. Cast your vote by 10.31.17 and you will be entered to win a $50 gift certificate of your choice. Winners will be announced on the first day of November!
Don’t miss our Pumpkins in Disguise at the Kids Compassion Project Jack-O-Lantern Contest at the Stanley Marketplace on October 29th from 4:30 – 6pm!
If you would like to read more about Stingy Jack and the birth of the jack-o-lantern, visit www.history.com. To get in some last minute Halloween festivities or to learn more about the business of pumpkins visit www.pumpkinpatchesandmore.org Check out previous years’ TJC pumpkin masterpieces here for festive inspiration when creating your own jack-o-lantern this year!
Have a safe and Happy Halloween from all here at TJC Real Estate and Management Services!
Brought to you by Sondra Lockett-Cameron, Marketing Coordinator for TJC Real Estate and Management Services.
Pink Elephants created by Erica Risacher.
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