History of

• Halloween is a holiday based on a collection of folk tales and observations dating back centuries. Most cultures have a holiday where they honor or memorialize their ancestors, and the American custom of celebrating Halloween rises from Anglo-Saxon customs. When the Christian missionaries arrived in England in the 3rd century, they "borrowed" the timing of the autumnal festivals and fashioned a church holiday, All Soul's Day, in an effort to replace the old Celtic and Gaelic observations. The old ways never really died. They just transformed into a light-hearted parody of the old ways.
  
  

Evolution

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  The practice of carving pumpkins traces back to the custom of placing carved turnips or potatoes in the window on the night before All Soul's Day to turn back any malevolent or lost spirits who might have taken the wrong turn. The Irish brought the custom to the New World along with a story about a fellow named Stingy Jack who had been turned away from heaven by God as well as from the other place by the devil, whom he had cheated in a bargain. In America, the Irish found an indigenous orange fruit that, when hollowed out and carved, could be lit with a candle and put in the window to tell Stingy Jack to pass by. The Jack-o-Lantern was invented.
  
  

Function

• Carving pumpkins serves no real purpose but gives parents and children an opportunity to work together to achieve something artistic. It also gives parents a chance to share their memories and experiences in a very traditional way.
  
  

The Facts

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  Find pumpkins that have a medium skin that will carve easily. Choose pumpkins that are solid and sound "hollow" when thumped. Cut the top off so that you can clean out the seeds and fibers. Cut your top with corners, so it can be easily fit back in and tilt the knife out as you cut so that the lid is cone-shaped and doesn't fall back inside. Scoop out all the seeds and "guts" with a big serving spoon or ice cream scoop. Plan your face or use one of the many patterns available, and execute your design using a sharp, short knife, just a bit longer than the pumpkin is thick.
  
  

Expert Insight

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  Wash and save the seeds to plant next spring or boil in salted water and dry in a slow oven to eat. Sharpen the edge of a serving spoon---like a giant grapefruit spoon---to scoop out guts. Spend more time planning than cutting---the old saw "measure twice, cut once" applies here. Give very young children those pumpkin carving tools they sell for kids and help them "clean up" their work with the sharp knife. Save the cartoon characters for video games---there are plenty of great traditional patterns to try.