Halloween
is never complete without the pumpkin.
Pumpkin carving right before Halloween
is almost like a ritual that we all do
each year as kids or
"big kids". We have to go and pick
just the right pumpkins for carving and have
the best designs that'll be spooky and fun
at the same time. But did you know that originally
it wasn't pumpkins that were carved for Halloween?
The
tradition of carving pumpkins on Halloween
actually started with turnips and gourd
across the Atlantic with the Celts. Ancients
Celts had been celebrating Halloween for
centuries and they called it Samhain (pronounced
'sow wan'). It signifies the end of the
Celtic year. Halloween for the Celts starts
when the sun goes down on October 31st
through sundown of November 1st. Don't
you wish our Halloween is that long too?
They were honoring the loved ones that
have passed on. Ancient Celts believed
that the realm between ours and the realm
of the spirits are closest on that night.
So all the Witches and spirits would come
out and play. That's why it's also known
as the "Witches' New Year"!
Jack-o-lanterns
were carved out of turnips and gourds and
burning coals were place in them to light
up the night. But the more significant
reason for them is to keep the bad spirits
away. Later the burning coals were replaced
by candles. This tradition was carried
out at the end of every summer. When the
Europeans and the Irish migrated to the
United States they carried the ancient
traditions of carving jack-o-lanterns with
them. They found something better to carve
-- the native pumpkin. It's of the same
Squash family as the gourd and they're
much larger so they can be carved perfectly.
If
you're going to have pumpkins carved out,
you need the right set of tools. Make sure
you have grease pencils and a couple of
patterns to guide you with which design
you want to carve. You might already have
carving tools around your kitchen so just
look around. If you can't find them you
should be able to get a kit from your favorite
department store. They shouldn't cost you
more than $25. Make sure all you pumpkin
carving tools are sharp thin, flexible,
and sturdy. Use an ice pic or a nail as
a poker tool that pokes out the designs
from a sheet of pattern or the drawings
on the pumpkin. Use a thin bladed boning
knife to cut the top hole and any large
pieces out of the face of the pumpkin.
Cut off the top off the pumpkin and get
different types of spoons to remove the
seeds, pulp and skin from the inside of
the pumpkin. You can use an ice cream scoop
to remove the guts too. Wash your tools
properly and keep them in a plastic box
so you'd be able to use them next Halloween! |
