Carve a Pumpkin Day

What the day is

Carve a Pumpkin Day is observed on October 31, which is also Halloween. It is an informal day with no known founder, and it simply encourages people to carve a jack-o'-lantern while the season lasts. It lands on the last possible day, which makes it a useful deadline for anyone who has been putting it off.

For most households, carving has become the main Halloween craft. A glowing pumpkin on the porch signals that the house is welcoming trick-or-treaters, and it is among the most recognizable symbols of the holiday.

Origin and background

The jack-o'-lantern comes from an Irish folktale about a man known as Stingy Jack, who tricked the devil and was condemned to wander the earth with only a burning coal inside a hollowed turnip for light. People in Ireland and Scotland carved turnips and other root vegetables with scary faces to ward off wandering spirits around the autumn festival of Samhain. When Irish immigrants came to North America in the nineteenth century, they found that the native pumpkin was larger, softer and far easier to carve, and the tradition shifted accordingly.

Pumpkins carved on the day itself are at their best only briefly. A cut pumpkin begins to soften and mold within a few days, and warm weather speeds that up. Many carvers prefer to do the work a few days early and keep the finished pumpkin in a cool place.

How to take part

• Choose a firm pumpkin with a flat bottom and a strong stem, so it sits level and holds up to carving.
• Scoop out the inside thoroughly, and keep the seeds for roasting.
• Draw the design on first, then cut slowly with a small serrated saw rather than a kitchen knife.
• Use a battery-powered light instead of a candle for safety, especially around children and decorations.
• Let children draw the face and do the cutting yourself.
• If you would rather not cut, paint or decorate it with markers and stickers.