Happy Halloween! We wanted to share a Halloween artifact to share in the festivities. Pictured is a paper cut out of a pumpkin that June Hughes displayed in her classroom during the 1940s. Hughes attended Camrose Normal School for her training as a teacher. Her first post was in a one-room school at Ascot, Alberta (near Wainwright) in March 1942. The paper Pumpkin was obtained from her parents, William & Esther White’s general store in Greenshields, Alberta. The origin of carving pumpkins for Halloween comes from the Irish myth about Stingy Jack. Jack tried to trick the devil into getting a large sum of money from him. When he passed away, God did not let him into heaven, and the devil did not let him into hell, so Jack was sentenced to roam the earth for all eternity. The Irish scarved demonic faces out of turnips to frighten Jack’s spirit away from their homes. It became pumpkins when the Irish immigrated to the area, and pumpkins were native to the region. Carving pumpkins became associated with Halloween through the belief that the souls of recently deceased would return during Halloween. Enjoy the warm weather while it lasts and have a pleasant week.