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Pumpkin carving is a staple of the Halloween experience. But why would anyone take a humble fruit like the pumpkin, gut it, and stick a candle in it? Countless stories circulate regarding the origin of the jack-o-lantern, most involving deals with the Devil and night wanderings. Modern pumpkin carvers do more than carve eyes and smiles into their pumpkins though. Halloween pumpkins have become ways not only to ward off evil but also ways to express artistry and celebrate popular culture.
While pumpkins had become a favorite food among American settlers dating back to the Jamestown colony, pumpkins as jack-o-lanterns didn’t become popular until the 19th century with the waves of immigrants from Ireland and Scotland. These immigrants brought with them the tale of “Stingy Jack,” a man so clever that he outwitted the Devil himself. Unfortunately, outwitting the Devil meant the Jack upon his death was not allowed into heaven as he was so wicked and not allowed into Hell because the Devil despised him. Left to roam the earth, Jack’s spirit wanders the night with a lantern made from a hollowed out turnip, Jack’s lantern. In an effort to ward off Jack and other such spirits, people began to carve turnips, place lights in them, and set them in their windows.
Pumpkin carving is a simple enough affair, requiring patience and a few tools you can find in your kitchen. Tools from the kitchen include a spoon, a marker to outline your pattern, and a series of sharp blades of various lengths and widths for carving. If you are uncertain about using your own knives, you can purchase tool kits from Target, Wal-Mart, or a hobby store; they cost anywhere from about $10 to $25 depending on the quality of the materials. There are even special pumpkin carving power drills and attachments for standard drills. Most tool kits include stencils and patterns to use as guides for carving.
The patterns for carving pumpkins have moved well beyond funny eyes, noses, and mouths. Carvers express their love of comics, books, television and movies through their pumpkins. Fantasypumpkins.com exhibits pumpkins produced by one Virginia man and his family. His designs include the Brisingr from the Eragon series of books, the Death Star as a 186 pound pumpkin, and Mickey versus Chernabog. Pumpkin Masters, creators of many pumpkin carving kits, sponsors a carving contest each year. Last year’s grand prize winner produced a pumpkin inspired by the ravens from the Tower of London.
With precision tools and templates from the Internet, there are few limitations to the design of your pumpkin. You can purchase or download or even freehand designs ranging from traditional silhouettes to elaborate images of celebrity faces and haunted houses. Ask yourself the following questions before heading out to buy a pumpkin to carve:
1. What size and shape pumpkin will I need for my design? You’ll want to use a large pumpkin for more intricate designs.
2. What sort of lighting do I want to use? There are lots of choices from traditional candles to LED lights to glow sticks.
3. How long will my pumpkin last? Pumpkins can last anywhere from 24 hours to 10 days. You’ll want to check your pumpkin for mold when you purchase it to slow down its decay. You also want to control the dehydration process as much as possible. Some suggested techniques include coating the design with petroleum jelly or using a commercial pumpkin preserver.
While we don’t think of the jack-o-lantern as a way to ward off evil spirits, they certainly can raise the spirits of trick-or-treaters and Halloween party goers. With some imagination and time, you too can take a simple fruit and turn it into a work of art that can glow in your memory for years to come.
For Halloween costume ideas, see "Haunted by Hollywood: Stars of classic horror"
For a look at the lifespan of a pumpkin, see "Keep a Halloween Pumpkin Fresh"
For more pumpkin carving suggestions, see Pumpkin Carving 101
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