During the weeks leading up to Halloween, porches will be taken over by grinning carved pumpkins. But jack-o’-lanterns weren’t always made out of pumpkins. As a celebration of fall harvest, people in the British Isles used to hollow out turnips, beets, or potatoes and light them with coal or candles. The name for these glowing veggies likely came from the Irish fable of Stingy Jack. He was a lost soul forced to wander with lantern in hand because he cheated the devil out of money.
These days, people take their spooky pumpkin art to a whole new level. In 2011, a team of carvers led by Ray Villafane from Arizona set the Guinness World Record for largest pumpkin sculpture: a zombie apocalypse scene made of two pumpkins that together weighed over 3,500 pounds! Sue Beatrice, co-owner of Pumpkin Sculpt USA, was part of that record-breaking team. The key for carving success, she says, is to let your imagination run wild. “Since it will rot in a few days no matter what you do, you don’t have to worry about mistakes,” she says.
Interested in swapping your traditional lantern for a super-sized carving? Step one is finding a hefty gourd. “My favorite ones are those that are just too heavy to pick up!” says Beatrice. Before you start carving your Halloween masterpiece, get inspired by
these pumpkin facts and trends.