![]() The origins of jack-o’-lanterns aren’t limited to produce the term also referred to people. A plaster cast of a carved turnip lantern common during the early 1900s-called a “ghost turnip” and complete with craggy teeth and sinister eye slits-haunts the museum’s permanent exhibitions. ![]() Visitors to the National Museum of Ireland-Country Life, in County Mayo, can see firsthand how terrifying those turnips could look. “Over time people started to carve faces and designs to allow light to shine through the holes without extinguishing the ember.” “Metal lanterns were quite expensive, so people would hollow out root vegetables,” he says. ( Related: These paper crafts bring the party on Day of the Dead.)Ī practical purpose also evolved, says Mannion. To ward off restless souls, people donned costumes and carved frightening faces into root vegetables such as beets, potatoes, and turnips-usually plentiful after the recent harvest. On Samhain eve, October 31, spirits of the dead were thought to mingle with the living. The idea took deeper hold during the Celtic festival of Samhain, which was originally celebrated on November 1 and inspired many traditions of modern-day Halloween. “It’s quite macabre, but it may have symbolized the severed heads of your enemies.” “It may even have had pre-Christian origins that evolved from the custom of head veneration, or potentially even represented war trophies taken from your foes,” says Nathan Mannion, senior curator for EPIC The Irish Emigration Museum, in Dublin. The concept of using a round fruit or vegetable to depict a human face goes back thousands of years in some northern European Celtic cultures. Although the legendary Headless Horseman and his hurled pumpkin have been scaring Americans for generations, jack-o’-lanterns actually trace their origins back centuries to Old World traditions in countries including Ireland, England, and Scotland.Īlong the way, pagan rituals, freaky folktales, and natural phenomena have interwoven to create a fascinating history that’s part fact, part fiction, and all frightfully fun. The backstory of jack-o’-lanterns, including how they came to star in Halloween decor and why they’re carved in the first place, is a tale worth telling. For decades, carving a pumpkin has been a beloved fall tradition in America, celebrated with parties, festivals, and televised competitions. We know, creating cool and scary pumpkin faces isn’t always an easy feat, but when you follow these simple tutorials you’re bound to find several looks you and the kids can pull off.There’s no more classic Halloween image than a glowing jack-o’-lantern perched in a window or on a porch, setting a merrily macabre mood. There are also a ton of looks that have simple stencils that kids can easily follow (with adult supervision, of course). Some of the funniest ones on here don't even require to you do any of this (psst: a fun mask goes a long way).īut if you're looking to keep the Halloween tradition alive of cutting up your pumpkins, there are so many great carving ideas to put your creativity to the test (just be sure to follow some of our carving hacks to make sure you're doing it right!). Or you could even draw one on, or opt for an eye-catching painted pumpkin face. For instance, you could try out some cool no-carve ideas by adding fringe or temporary tattoos to your pumpkin. We put together a whole list of pumpkin face ideas that only look elaborate and are actually quite easy to recreate or put your own spin on. While a good old jack-o'-lantern will always evoke the Halloween spirit, we recommended upping the ante this year and trying out some new and cute pumpkin faces. After a successful trip to your local pumpkin patch, the next thing on your mind is coming up with a festive way to decorate your pumpkins and gourds. ![]()
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