Jack o lanterns.
Probably the truest and most recognizable symbol for Halloween.
We all know the standard procedure; take a pumpkin, cut a cap for the top (And sometimes a hole at the bottom too) , empty the seeds, carve something seasonal on the visage, add a candle (or now-a-days and electric candle-LED light) and viola! Instant success.
It's even become something of a next level artform, with creations elaborate and three-dimensional.
Here's a little history of the Jackonlatern, courtesy of Wikipedia and several other dedicated sources.
The origin of Jack o' Lantern carving is uncertain. The carving of vegetables has been a common practice in many parts of the world, with gourds being the earliest plant species domesticated by humans c. 10,000 years ago, primarily for their carving potential.Gourds were used to carve lanterns by the Maori over 700 years ago,with the Maori word for a gourd also used to describe a lampshade. There is a common belief that the custom of carving jack-o'-lanterns at Hallowe'en originated in Ireland, where turnips, mangelwurzel or beets were supposedly used. According to historian Ronald Hutton, in the 19th century, Hallowe'en guisers in parts of Ireland and the Scottish Highlands commonly used jack-o'-lanterns made from turnips and mangelwurzels. They were "often carved with grotesque faces to represent spirits or goblins".In these areas, 31 October–1 November was known as Samhain and it was seen as a time when spirits or fairies were particularly active. Hutton says that they were also used at Hallowe'en in Somerset (see Punkie Night) during the 19th century.Christopher Hill also writes that "jack-o'-lanterns were carved out of turnips or squashes and were literally used as lanterns to guide guisers on All Hallows' Eve." Some claim that the Jack-o'-lanterns originated with All Saints' Day (1 November)/All Souls' Day (2 November) and represented Christian souls in purgatory. Bettina Arnold writes that they were sometimes set on windowsills to keep the harmful spirits out of one's home. An 1834 account of a Halloween night at a house in Ireland makes no mention of any jack-o'-lantern or carved vegetables acting as lanterns,nor does Robert Burns mention them in his famous poem "Halloween". Thomas Johnson Westropp does not mention them in Folklore of Clare (1910)and an "internationally accepted authority on Irish folk tradition", Seán Ó Súilleabháin, does not mention them in Irish Folk Custom and Belief (1967).So despite the commonly held belief that the carving of the Jack-O'-Lantern was an ancient Irish custom, no scholarly research into Irish mythology and customs includes a contemporary reference to such a practice being present during Samhain.
Further origin legend include the Legend of Stingy Jack www.history.com/topics/hallowe…
How to carve a turnip -www.pumpkinnook.com/halloween/…
And here is a very small selection of the plethora of gorgeous pumpkin handiwork that can be found on DA
THere's even a section dedicated to it, check it out! www.deviantart.com/browse/all/…
Seasons Greetings, DA!
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