Pumpkin Season

Have you ever carved a pumpkin? If not, keep reading and if you have, you can keep reading too, BUT BEWARE…this going to be full of information you PROBABLY already know. Carving pumpkins is a part of your ole regularly scheduled spooky seasoned programming and as a pumpkin carver you’re going to be controlling the channel.  

In the Beginning

Dating back centuries, the origin of the story is that pumpkins were believed to ward off evil spirits and that belief was all thanks to one-man, Sneaky Jack. The story tells of a trickster that was so good he tricked the devil and when he died, was rejected from heaven and hell thus probing his spirit to roam the world searching for rest. On that journey he carried a lit coal of which he placed inside of a turnip. Through traditional storytelling in a sort of like telephone fashion, the story was thus translated into what we know today as carving pumpkins. 

Welcome to Carvard

The act itself isn’t as complicated as the origin story. Thank goodness. We’re going to share a few tips on the process to give you a sort of quick guide to carving your own spooky piece of art. First grab your pumpkin and draw a circle around the top where the stem is in preparation for seed removal. Once the top has been cut off, remove all debris; to keep tidy we suggest, throwing away all trash as you go. For tips on tidiness, click here.  Once all debris is removed, take your spoon and scrape along the walls of your pumpkin to make sure it’s all clear of seeds. Scrape inside of your pumpkin where you plan to draw your design a bit more to make it easier to cut through. Once that has been completed take your pen, draw your design, and cut! 

After you have carved out your design, wipe down your pumpkin to clear excess materials. Grab a tea candle, place it inside and you’re all set. Pumpkin carved.

Make sure to visit the St. James Pumpkin Patch,  your local pumpkin patch in Dallas this October of the season.