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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!
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