Shelton-Mason County Journal - Dedicated to the citizens of Mason County, Washington since 1886

The idea of using pumpkins for jack-o’-lanterns is such a tradition that it’s hard to imagine anything else would ever have been used, but rutabagas were. In Germany, rutabagas, turnips and potatoes were hollowed out and used as lanterns to celebrate fall harvest festivals. This custom spread to the British Isles and was then brought to America by immigrants. Here Native Americans introduced the immigrants to pumpkins. Pumpkins became used for many things, including jack-o’-lanterns. Thus a tradition was born.

It’s easy enough to grow pumpkins for jack-o’-lanterns, but pumpkins ha...