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Aitkin Independent Age Wednesday, Oct. 23, 2013
www.aitkinage.com
JACK-OF-ALL
LANTERNS
OLD FASHIONED STANDBYS
Carving out a new niche,
pumpkins can be simple
or full-blown works of art
By PAM KING
umpkin carving
on Halloween
is just as
important a
tradition as wearing a
costume and passing out
candy to the trick-ortreaters. And decorating homes
has become another popular
tradition on this spookiest of
holidays.
There are tons of decorative
items people buy for this
popular holiday, from spider
webs, wreaths and bats to
lights for outside the house and
decals for your windows.
Carving a pumpkin can be as
simple as cutting out the eyes,
nose and a toothy grin or using
elaborate designs downloaded
free from the Internet.
There are special tool kits
and decorative pieces
available at a craft store or
at a local pharmacy to make
a jack-o’-lantern really
unique.
P
How did this practice start?
There isn’t much information on the origin of jack-o’lanterns. Some believe the
practice came from Ireland.
Turnips, mangelwurzel or
beets were used. Others claim
that jack-o’-lanterns originated
with All Saints’ Day and All
Souls’ Day and they represented Christian souls in
purgatory. According to
historical writer Christopher
Hill, “Jack-o’-lanterns were
carved out of turnips or
squashes and were literally
used as lanterns to guide
guisers on All Hallows’ Eve.
No one really knows for sure
why the carving of jack-o’lanterns started, or where.
Robert Burns, a Scottish poet
who died in 1796, does not
mention them in his famous
poem “Halloween.”
Halloween is just eight days
away and there’s plenty of
time to get that perfect
pumpkin to carve. Who’s
going to carve the pumpkin
this year?
WHY CARVE?
• Do not eat a pumpkin
that has been carved as a
jack-o’-lantern.
• Choose a large pumpkin.
The larger the pumpkin, the
easier it is to carve. Avoid any
pumpkins with bruises or
moldy stems as they will spoil
much faster. Pumpkins with a
lighter color tend to be softer
and easier to carve.
• When cutting out the top,
place the knife at a 45 degree
HALLOWEEN HINTS
HALLOWEEN TRIVIA QUIZ
How many will you get right?
b. False
1) What is the origin of Halloween? 5) What was the number one Hala. A South American holiday honoring the day loween costume for adults in 2012?
of the dead.
b. A Chinese holiday honoring ancestors.
c. A Celtic holiday celebrating the new year.
a.Vampire
b. Pirate
c. Witch
a. During Halloween festivities, families
would go door-to-door to beg for food from their
neighbors.
b. The sound of ringing bells chases away the
spirits.
c. Children would go from house to house to
announce the start of the festival and neighbors
would treat them with sweets.
a. Spiderman
b. Batman
c. Princess
2) How did the American tradition of 6) What was the number one Haltrick-or-treating on Halloween begin? loween costume for children in 2012?
7) What was the number one Halloween costume for pets in 2012?
a. Devil
b. Pumpkin
c. Hot dog
3) Why did people first begin dress- 8) True or False? All witches are
ing up in costume for Halloween?
women.
a. They didn't want neighbors to know they
a. True. I’m a guy, and I don’t think any guys
were begging, so they disguised themselves.
have been accused of being a witch.
b. People thought if they dressed as ghosts, real b. True. That’s why it is such a popular costume
ghosts would leave them alone.
for girls like me.
c. People wanted to scare their neighbors for c. False. I believe men, like me, can be witches
the fun of it.
but sometimes they’re called warlocks.
a.True.
Answers: 1-c; 2-c; 3-b; 4-b,false; 5-c;
6-c; 7-b; 8-c.
4) True or False: Pumpkins only
come in one color, orange.
angle so the lid will have a
place to rest when you replace
it. If you cut straight down, the
lid will fall through.
• When cleaning the
pumpkin, save the seeds.
Toasted pumpkin seeds make
a healthy and tasty snack.
Use a large, heavy metal
serving spoon or ice cream
scoop to scrape the insides.
For those who plan to light
the pumpkin, the back wall
should be scraped as smooth
as possible since this is where
the light will be reflected.
A one-inch thickness of the
pumpkin wall is optimum.
• For longer life, soak the
cleaned pumpkin a couple of
hours in a bleach water
solution of 1 teaspoon bleach
to 1 gallon of water. Dry
thoroughly, then rub inside and
out, including all cut edges,
with vegetable oil or petroleum
jelly to prevent shriveling. If
the pumpkin begins to shrivel,
repeat the process. The soaking
time will depend upon how
dried out the pumpkin has
become.
• Beginners should select a
simple, bold pattern. Once a
simple pattern is mastered,
carvers can move on to
something more difficult.
• Print out or draw the pattern
on a piece of paper. Use small
sharp scissors or a razor knife
to cut out the outline. Tape the
template onto the pumpkin and
use a marker to trace the
carving lines. Cutting slits in
the paper will help it to
conform to the round surface.
• As an alternative, tape the
outline to the pumpkin and use
a nail or large pushpin to score
the carving lines onto the
pumpkin. Connect the dots
during carving.
• A long serrated knife or a
pumpkin-carving knife with
teeth will be necessary to cut
through the thick flesh. Use a
sawing motion and take plenty
of time cutting along the
outside edge of the marker
lines so there is no marker
residue.
• Consider cutting off the
bottom of the pumpkin, as well
as the top. The pumpkin will
be more stable and also easier
to carve. Those planning to use
a candle to light the jack-o’lantern, should be sure the
opening in the bottom is large
enough to fit over the candle.
Place the candle on a fire-proof
base large enough to accommodate the pumpkin. Then
easily lift off the jack-o’lantern to light the candle.
• Those who will be lighting
the jack-o’-lantern with a
candle, be sure to leave the lid
off to avoid any fire hazard.
Use a votive candle in a glass
holder or tea lights in a metal
case. To leave the lid on, carve
a hole in the unseen back side
of the pumpkin to act as a
chimney. Never leave a
candle-lit jack-o’-lantern
unattended for any length of
time.
• A small battery-operated
flameless candle is a safer
choice than traditional candles
for lighting a jack-o’-lantern.
• Sprinkle the bottom side of
the pumpkin lid with ground
cinnamon, nutmeg, and/or
cloves to let the jack-o’lantern do double duty as an
air freshener.
• Place the jack-o’-lantern in
a plastic bag and refrigerate
when not in use.
• Try making an uncarved
jack-o’-lantern by painting
designs with royal icing.
Painters can enjoy a decorated
jack-o’-lantern but still use the
pumpkin when Halloween has
come and gone.
NEW FANGLED WORKS OF ART
EXPERT TIPS ON
EXTREME CARVING
Artist and sculptor, Ray Villafane, is a two-time winner of
the Food Network’s Challenge: Outrageous Pumpkins.
His tips for turning a jack-o’lantern into a work of art
include:
• Choose a pumpkin with a
thick wall.
• For faces, choose oblong
(not round) pumpkins.
• Use various sizes of clay
ribbon loop tools, available at
craft stores, for most of the
carving and for creating fluid
contours. Sharp details and
fine cuts can be made at the
end with a paring knife.
• Go as deep as possible but
take care approaching the center. The texture will change and
the pumpkin surface will start
to bounce a bit.
• Use references. Photographs, drawings or mirrors
can be valuable tools.
Tools include clay
ribbon loops.
• Practice, practice, practice.
Tom Nardone, another wellknown extreme pumpkin
carver, recommends using a
jigsaw to remove chunks (like
eyes and the mouth) and then
a rotary tool to carve away the
skin. For big areas, he says he’s
not afraid to break out an
angle grinder. It removes the
pumpkin skin and can even be
used to shape the pumpkin.
A wide variety of instructional and fun videos are available.