Tip of the Week - Why We Carve Pumpkins at Halloween (and what to do if you don’t want to carve a pumpkin!)

Crafting plump, round pumpkins into Jack O’Lanterns is a Halloween staple in our corner of the world!  And a tradition that I’ve always viewed with trepidation - and who wouldn’t feel the same way?  Three small children, one large pumpkin and a giant sharp knife?  This combination would instill fear in the hearts of even the bravest souls - which is why the job has always fallen upon my kind hubby!

But what actually started this unusual tradition?  Dating back centuries, the Celtic Irish celebrated October 31st as the end of summer and the beginning of a new year.  That night was also believed to be the one night when the boundaries between the living and the dead were broken and deceased spirits could enter the bodies of the living.  In an effort to avoid those evil spirits, costumes were donned and Jack O’Lanterns with scary faces were carried.  Before arriving in America, the Irish carved Jack O’Lanterns from large turnips or beets, but the discovery of pumpkins in the U.S. offered a terrific improvement!

Fun Alternatives to Pumpkin Carving

And what if you love Halloween, but have no interest in carving a pumpkin?  Or share my fear of sharp knives?  I have two fun and quick answers to your dilemma! 

  • Pumpkin Tiaras - Dressed to “thrill” pumpkins can receive the tiara treatment from a pair of whimsical pumpkin crowns from Signals (Pumpkin Tiaras, $19.95)
  • Halloween Metal Die Cuts - Spookier pumpkins can be dramatically decorated with black metal die cut figures from Lillian Vernon!  (Black Metal Pumpkin Decorations -crows, witches, bats or cats, $6.98 or 2 for $4.98 each)

Whatever way you choose to embellish your family’s pumpkin, take a minute to realize just how far back this custom goes, along with its very creepy implications!  Happy Haunting!

Do you have a special way of decorating your pumpkins?  Please share!

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