Photo by RAWKU5, sxc.hu
One of the most common, and fun, Halloween activities is carving pumpkins into jack-o-lanterns. Carving a face into a big, orange squash and putting a candle inside is perhaps one of the strangest customs of a holiday where anything goes.
So how did this odd tradition start?
The term jack-o-lantern originated in Ireland and Britain. It was used to describe ignus fatuus, the phenomenon of strange lights appearing over peat bogs and swamps. It was thought that the light belonged to a mysterious night watchman, whom they called Jack of the lantern.
Photo by mindfreak, sxc.hu
The actual practice of carving vegetables and using them as lanterns originated in Ireland and Britain as well. Instead of pumpkins, though, they used turnips. Meanwhile, in 19th century America, pumpkins were often carved during the harvest season. The first use of the term jack-o-lantern to describe these vegetable lanterns occurred in 1837. Eventually, by the mid-1800s, the carved-out pumpkins became tied specifically to Halloween.
Today, jack-o-lanterns can be found all over the world and with an unlimited range of carvings. Also, they are almost always made from pumpkins. Being big and hollow, pumpkins are certainly a lot easier to carve than turnips!
There are many different ways to create a jack-o-lantern. They can be scary, cute, or goofy. You could even make a vomiting pumpkin!
Follow these easy-to-use templates to create your ideal jack-o-lantern:
- The Traditional Jack-o-Lantern Face - This pumpkin face was designed to withstand the test of time. Its simple pointy eyes and nose are classic, and the toothy grin is both fun and a little mysterious.
- The Mean Jack-o-Lantern Face - Some pumpkins were born to be bad. This mean face, with its pointy fangs and villain-esque eyebrows, will bring a touch of evil to any unsuspecting gourd.
- The Goofy Jack-o-Lantern Face - Halloween is a fun holiday—so lighten up your pumpkin’s day with a funny grin! This face is sure to draw more treats than tricks!
- The Alien Jack-o-Lantern Face - Though Halloween is usually celebrated as a terrestrial holiday, who says our galactic neighbors can’t join in on the fun? Movers.com has the only pumpkin face approved by the Martians living at Area 51.
- The Slightly Ill Jack-o-Lantern Face - It’s easy to party too much on Halloween. With squinted eyes, flaring nostrils, and a gaping mouth spewing pumpkin guts, this carving design is widely considered to be the most popular design on the web.
- The Witch Jack-o-Lantern - Almira Gulch approves of this design which features a pointy-hatted sorceress flying high on a broom among the stars, moon, and a flurry of vampire bats.