Hop Tu Naa, and the curious Postcard

This  postcard is fascinating!  It was called to my attention a friend. and I thank her for that, because researching it was very interesting. 

 

The object in the oven or structure could indeed be a turnip. The tradition of carving faces into turnips and other root vegetables dates back to an ancient Celtic festival called Samhain. This tradition evolved into what we now know as the Jack-o’-Lantern, named after the Irish legend of "Stingy Jack".

In the legend, Stingy Jack tricks the devil and is punished by being denied entry to both heaven and hell. He’s given a burning coal by the devil, which he places in a hollow turnip to light his way as he roams the Earth. This is likely the origin of the carved turnip tradition.

When Irish immigrants brought this tradition to America, pumpkins, which were more abundant, began to be used instead. However, in some places like the Isle of Man, turnips are still used for carving during their Hop-tu-Naa festival.

So, it’s possible that the object in your postcard is a nod to this older tradition of using turnips as Jack-o’-Lanterns. However, without more specific information about where the postcard, it’s hard to say for certain.

 

If you decide to try carving turnips, you could possibly make this soup.  It was send to me by another online correspondent.

 

Creamy Turnip Soup

serves 6
	1 tbsp olive oil 1 tbsp butter 1 yellow onion, sliced 1 sweet onion, sliced 6 garlic cloves, chopped 1 tsp dried thyme 1 tsp kosher salt 1/2 tsp pepper 3 medium turnips, peeled and chopped 1 large russet potato, peeled and chopped 4 cup vegetable broth (or chicken broth)	Directions 1 Melt the butter and olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven. Add the onions and cook for about 10 minutes until tender and just beginning to brown. 2 Add the garlic, thyme, salt, and pepper. Stir together and cook for 2-3 minutes until the garlic is very fragrant. 3 Add the turnips, potatoes, and broth. Bring to a simmer and turn the heat down to low. 4 Cover and cook for 25-30 minutes until the potatoes and turnips are tender. 5 Add to a blender (or use an immersion blender) to blend the soup until creamy. Taste and season with salt and pepper. If the soup tastes bitter, you can add a touch of honey or maple syrup to balance the flavor. You can also add a touch of half and half to balance this flavor if your turnips turn out to be on the bitter side.