Bloc magazine autumn 24.

64 Design Icons #37. The story begins in Ireland and Scotland, where turnips were the canvas for spooky carvings. Linked to the Celtic festival of Samhain (the precursor to Halloween), these carved vegetables, often turnips or potatoes, were meant to ward off evil spirits on the night when the veil between the worlds was thin. The name "jack-o'-lantern" itself comes from Irish folklore about a cunning trickster named Stingy Jack, doomed to eternally roam the earth with a burning ember inside a carved turnip. Irish and Scottish immigrants brought this tradition across the Atlantic, continuing to carve faces into vegetables. However, in the Americas, they encountered a new player: the pumpkin. These native gourds were not only plentiful, but their larger size and smoother surface made them ideal for intricate designs. The jack-o'- lantern tradition readily adapted, and pumpkins became the go-to for spooky illumination. Early jack-o'-lantern designs were simpler, often featuring grotesque or frightening faces. Over time, the designs became more diverse, reflecting artistic styles and evolving tastes. Today, pumpkin carving has become a beloved Halloween activity, with elaborate designs ranging from creepy to comical. So, the next time you light a candle inside a carved pumpkin, remember its fascinating history. It's a tradition that journeyed across continents, adapted to new materials, and continues to be a symbol of the spooky spirit of Halloween. Carved pumpkins with glowing grins are synon- ymous with Halloween. But this iconic tradition has a surprising past, with roots far removed from the orange globes we know today.