So, newcomers to Canada, if you really want to feel like you're living fall to the fullest, make sure to grab a pumpkin before the season is over because this activity is really fun to do, even as a 29-year-old adult.
Here are some of the questions I had while pumpkin carving for Halloween 2023, and the answers that would've made my jack-o-lantern experience a whole lot better.
Why do we carve pumpkins?
Mira's carved pumpkin.
There are various theories about why we carve pumpkins, but most of them suggest that it dates back to a pagan Celtic practice that was popular in Ireland centuries ago.
Turnips, not pumpkins, would be "carved with grotesque faces, and then illuminated by coal, wooden embers, or candles as a way to ward off evil spirits," per the Merriam-Webster dictionary. These carved vegetables were called jack-o-lanterns after a character from a local legend named Jack, who was cursed to wander the earth with a lantern.
Christians eventually adopted the practice and carried it out during the All Hallows' Eve feast on October 31, also known as Halloween. Later, immigrants brought the custom to North America and started using pumpkins instead of turnips because they were more common in the U.S. and Canada.
What tools do I need for pumpkin carving?
The inside of a pumpkin.
You'll see pumpkin-carving tools on sale at grocery stores ahead of Halloween, and many Google searches will suggest you need special equipment and stencils to carve a pumpkin. However, I can tell you from first-hand experience that you don't need any of them for your jack-o-lantern.
What you will need for the job is a strong stomach because gutting the pumpkin is one of the grossest things I've ever done. The feeling and texture of the stringy and gooey inside reaffirmed all my reasons for not liking pumpkins in the first place.
I managed to carve my pumpkin with nothing but a metal spoon, a few sharp kitchen knives and a set of markers.
Here's what I learned:
- Some people might say you need an ice cream scooper or a spoon with a serrated edge to gut the pumpkin, but a metal spoon from your drawer will also work well if you don't want to use your hands. Wood and plastic spoons aren't sharp enough, so make sure you're choosing a metal spoon.
- I felt overwhelmed when I saw the knives they recommended for pumpkin carving, so I just went for the most basic sharp knife I had. I then used a smaller one to perfect my outlines and it worked out fine.
- Using stencils could make for a fantastic work of art, but if you don't have that, then a pencil works or a marker if that's all you have. Just be confident with your drawings because if you're not, you'll have random mistakes all over the pumpkin, which could make for an ugly piece of art.
- Make sure you clean everything out of your pumpkin so you have room to put your candle or LED light in the middle of it. That's how you make it glow.
- If you don't want to use a knife, you can simply paint your pumpkin. You won't be able to light it from inside but it'll still look good.
What size of pumpkin is best for a jack-o-lantern?
Different pumpkins at the market.
When I went pumpkin shopping, I realized that it's crucial to know which size of pumpkin you want to carve. The tiny ones make creating spooky faces difficult and require small tools, whereas if you buy a giant pumpkin, then you could spend a lot of time gutting it and carving huge shapes into it.
I recommend grabbing a medium-sized, perfectly orange pumpkin with a curved stem. That stem will become the handle for the top of your pumpkin once you've gutted it.
It might take you an hour or two, but your jack-o-lantern will come together really nicely at the end.
Can you design your own jack-o-lantern?
Lit up pumpkin.
Typically when you think of a jack-o-lantern, the first design that probably pops into mind is the typical eyes with a zigzag-looking smile. However, you can get much more creative if you want. You don't even need to create a face, and instead, you can carve words or scenes into the jack-o-lantern instead. The possibilities are endless.
I wish I had known this before carving my perfect pumpkin because I could've created something more picture-worthy.
There are various places to look for inspiration, one being the obvious Google, but Pinterest and TikTok are great platforms to show you step-by-step guides on creating masterpieces.
Also, if you want to do something more challenging, then consider shaving the pumpkin rather than carving it. You can create interesting and intricate designs by scraping away the pumpkin's outer layers. When you scrape just enough and place a light in the orange root vegetable, it gives that glowing effect too.
This requires more intense tools like linoleum block cutters, but it can also make your jack-o-lantern stand out from the rest.
Research is key
Pumpkin carving spread.
Before planning my pumpkin carving day, I wish I'd known everything I mentioned above.
I made a whole event out of it. I invited my closest girlfriends to my fall festivity plans, made the yummiest charcuterie boards, went to a local fruit and vegetable market, picked out our pumpkins and then we got to carving.
But I didn't know what to expect past that. Who wanted to draw, what tools did we need, how many people wanted to paint pumpkins, and how many knives were required?
And then, past that, what would we do with the pumpkins? What designs did we want to try and accomplish? Also, do you have the perfect Apple Music playlist for the night?
So yes, there are many different ways to carve a pumpkin, but hopefully, you can make a few memories along the way and you'll end up with a nice-looking jack-o-lantern to set out for Halloween.
