The Legend of Gourds & Pumpkins

 

The Legend of Gourds & Pumpkins

Written by Kristine Manganelli (Somerset County 4-H Coordinator)

1.jpg

Ahhh yes, the familiar feeling of cool, crisp air is always so comforting to me. It brings relief after a scorching summer, and reminds me that every year, without fail, the autumn season will return. The equinox passed on September 22, and as our daylight slowly fades away each day, there is nothing we can do about it. As the animals prepare for the winter ahead, I find myself slowing down and getting wood ready for the fire stove. As the leaves begin to change and fall, we can take solace in the fact that all things must change. For me nature’s cycles provide trust that although winter can be tough, the light will eventually return.

Autumn traditions are in full swing here in New Jersey. There is no shortage of farms that offer corn mazes, apple cider donuts, and of course trademark pumpkins and gourds. I was curious about why people started using them as decoration, especially because at first glance many gourds are quite ugly! Turns out that we have been decorating with gourds since at least 1937, when the first chapter of the American Gourd Society was established in North Carolina. But scientists have found evidence that humans have been interacting with gourds for 8,000 years, and were selectively bred for a variety of uses.

For example, bottle gourds were bred to have longer stems for handles and larger bases to be used to carry water. There is evidence that Indigenous peoples used long-necked gourds as bird houses for Wild Purple Martins. This practice spread to European colonizers and are still used for bird houses today. In the Eastern United States, Wild Purple Martins now rely on gourds for nesting, and have almost given up nesting in tree cavities.

Pumpkins and gourds are part of the Cucurbitaceae family, which also includes melons and squash. Unlike their relatives, gourds are not eaten because of their small size, hard rinds, and bitter taste. We have selectively bred cucurbits like zucchini and watermelon for sweetness and tender flesh.

2.jpg

If you think about the evolutionary process, the modern cucurbits should not exist. Their wild ancestors were too tough and bitter to eat, so large animals like mammoths and mastodons were the only ones who could break them apart and spread the seeds. We know this because squash seeds were found in 30,000 year old fossilized mastodon feces. The bitter taste actually worked as a defense mechanism, caused by chemicals known as cucurbitacins that were lethal to smaller animals. Only the largest could tolerate the poisons. It is theorized that some New World fruits such as avocados and chocolate were also dispersed by these megabeasts.

As they went extinct, cucurbits almost followed when their populations began to decline. Fortunately, for them, they avoided extinction when they found the right partners to spread their seed…humans. We were also susceptible to the poisonous chemicals, however our ancestors located varieties that produced lower levels, which we went on to domesticate. This relationship with humans ensured the survival of cucurbits, that we still enjoy today!

Like me, you may also be wondering how the pumpkin carving tradition began. It started in Ireland from myth about a man nicknamed “Stingy Jack.” According to legend, Stingy Jack tricked the devil into paying for his drink. For this, when he died, he was not allowed into heaven. But because of his trickery, the devil would also not allow him to enter the underworld. Instead, he is destined to spend eternity roaming the night with only a burning coal to light his way. Jack put the coal in a carved-out turnip, like a lantern. He was given the new nickname “Jack of the Lantern” which we now know as “Jack O’Lantern.” The practice was brought to America by Irish immigrants, but the turnip was switched to a pumpkin.

Get Outside

This fall as you clean up the yard, consider leaving the leaves, or at least some of them. Many native plant and animal species (shown in the graphic below) rely on leaf litter for food, shelter, and nesting material. They can help cold blooded animals hold heat during hibernation, while many moth and butterfly caterpillars overwinter in fallen leaves before emerging in the Spring.

As you carve pumpkins and decorate for fall, keep in mind these tips below to reduce the use of unneeded plastic waste!

Sources:

 
Somerset County 4-H