Halloween Pumpkin Carving

Halloween is recognised by many by dressing up, trick or treating and pumpkin carving. The art of carving a pumpkin into a lantern and placing it in a visible place has become ore and more popular. It really is quite an art these days with what used to be a simple task of carving out a few shapes into the pumpkin, now more complex as adults and children alike are turning pumpkin carvings into all sorts of works of art.

There are many designs to choose from when carving out your pumpkin. You can go for a simple easy design or opt for a more complex and time consuming carving.

History of Carving Pumpkins

The history of carving pumpkins goes back to the years when Halloween was based on a Celtic holiday called Samhain, which means summer’s end.  Starting at sundown on the 31st of October, this was classed as the end of the Celtic Year and celebrated for centuries by the celts of old, witches, etc.

It was on this night that glowing lanterns carved from turnips and gourds were displayed on doorsteps and window edges to help protect against bad spirits and also to welcome those loved ones that may have been lost. At that time coal was used as a means of light, but nowadays there are safer and more practical ways to light up pumpkins, such as tea lights and candles.

The main reason why pumpkins have replaced the original turnips and gourds used are down to the pumpkin being larger and easier to carve.

Tools for Pumpkin Carving

You probably won’t need to splash out on the latest and fanciest of tools in order to carve your ideal pumpkin. More than likely you won’t need to look any further than your kitchen. The main tools you are likely to need are a sharp knife, possibly a smaller knife to cut out any fine detail work you may want to do and a spoon for removing the pulp from the pumpkin.

Impress your friends by carving that perfect pumpkin by purchasing the kit below: