Observed on

October 25th

Observed by

Residents of the West Country Area of Southwest England

Country of Origin 

The West Country Area of Southwest England

Celebrations/Customs

Trick or Treating, Pumpkin Carving, Singing

Similar/Related to:

Halloween

Key Points / Halloween Connection

- West Country holiday which has Trick or Treating and focuses heavily on jack- o'-lanterns (punkie) 

Brief Bio

Punkie Night is a traditional West Country holiday practised on the last Thursday of October in Somerset. Children will march around with a punkie, that is a jack o'lantern traditionally made from a mangelwurzel, singing the following song :

It's Punkie Night tonight

It's Punkie Night tonight

Adam and Eve would not believe

It's Punkie Night tonight

             or

"Give me a candle, give me a light If you don't, you'll get a fright"

             or

"Give me a candle give me light If you haven't a candle, a penny's all right"

The custom originated in the village of Hinton St George in Somerset when the menfolk had gone to a fair in Chiselborough a few miles away. They were drunk and fell asleep so their wives had to get them back home safely. They created lanterns out of mangelwurzels to stop the candles blowing out as there was a gale that night. When the men first saw the lanterns they thought they were will'o'the wisps. 

It is almost certainly linked with Hallowe'en and similar traditions can be found across the West Country. The word "Punkie"is an old English name for a lantern, and jack o'lanterns for Punkie Night may be made of swedes or mangel-wurzels rather than pumpkins. 

In earlier times, farmers would put a traditional "Punkie" on their gates to ward off evil spirits at this time of year.