12/30/2023 0 Comments Carved turnip jack o lantern![]() ![]() The one downside of turnip jack-o’-lanterns is that they’re a bit more difficult to carve than pumpkins. They look, cursed, like real heads that have shriveled and shrunk. They have more character, more of a sinister appeal. Faces carved into them look angrier, more weathered. The natural gnarls, ridges, and wrinkles in the exterior of a turnip lend carved creations a much creepier aesthetic. But I think that a turnip jack-o-lantern is superior in that the root vegetable has more character in its skin. ![]() Many countries, Scotland in particular, still carve turnips for Halloween. when they began to carve jack-o’-lanterns out of pumpkins, as the native crops were plentiful. It was only until the Irish immigrated to the U.S. The initial object of choice that was carved? The turnip, or rutabaga, both of which were plentiful. Folks began calling him Jack the Lantern or jack-o’-lantern for short. He was thus forced to wander the world with a single ember of coal to light his way, which he placed inside a carved vessel. When Jack died, God wouldn’t allow him into heaven and the Devil wouldn’t allow him into hell. Through various shrewd tactics, Jack was able to dupe the devil on not one but two occasions and escape eternal torment. But the origin of the jack-o’-lantern stems from an ancient Irish myth about a man named Stingy Jack.Īs the story goes, Jack, a drunk and a scoundrel, was wandering home one night a bit blitzed and happened upon the devil, who had come to claim his scuffed-up soul. I for one would love to see them sitting on many more front porches.Ĭarving faces into seasonal produce dates back to Celtic tradition. A Turnip jack-o’-lantern is much creepier, much better version of the beloved All Hallows Eve symbol. But, let me tell you, there’s a better option out there than carving the same old cucurbita: a turnip. A fat pumpkin, carved to have a toothy grin and triangle eyes, is the symbol of Halloween. And, of course, we expect jack-o’-lanterns. ![]() Neighbors who get too into their decorations and buy the 18-foot-skeleton. Cotton spider webs stretched over hedges. Orange buckets with flimsy plastic handles. There are certain things we come to expect every Halloween. ![]()
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