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Jack did this not only once but twice. Both times, Jack was dying, and when the devil came for his soul, Jack tricked him into giving him several more years of life.According to Stack, Stingy Jack played tricks on his neighbors, family and friends. He then turned his sights to a much more prominent target – the devil.

“The ancient Irish believed that this was the night where the souls could kind of rise again,” Stack said. “So if there was any unfinished business, they could come back.” Unbeknownst to the ancient Celts, their fall tradition of Samhain and of keeping evil spirits at bay would evolve throughout the centuries. Samhain morphed into Halloween, and the myth of Stingy Jack and the use of jack-o’-lanterns to scare off his evil spirit arose. The turnips, donning their frightful faces, were then displayed near windows and doors in hopes of scaring away the soul of Stingy Jack or other evil spirits that might be wandering around, said Stack.Focusing on the dead, specifically during fall, is part of an age-old tradition in Irish culture. In fact, this focus and that of Halloween can be traced back to the very first people of Ireland.While some of those returning spirits were good, others didn’t have the best intentions. To protect themselves, the Celts used various methods to scare off the harmful spirits. Legend says the devil gave Jack a bright, glowing ember from the fires of hell. Jack put this ember into a hollowed-out turnip, which he used as a lantern to light his way as he wandered the Earth for eternity. While those words could be used to affectionately describe a few of our own family and friends, Irish legend has it they can also aptly describe the namesake of the jack-o’-lantern.

The ancient Irish were called Celts (pronounced “kelts”), indigenous people who spread throughout early Europe. The Celts in Ireland celebrated traditions that were rooted in nature, such as four festivals based on the seasons.Unbeknownst to the original creators of the jack-o’-lantern, their tradition of carving frightening faces into turnips would also evolve. As Irish immigrants came to the United States to escape famine in the 19th century, they became introduced to a round, orange gourd native to the Americas: the pumpkin. “So if you’re out at night, late at night, and you see a creepy light on the horizon, it could be the jack-o’-lantern out walking, stuck between the two worlds,” Stack said. As with any story involving culture, this one about the jack-o’-lantern is a bit complex, filled with as many knots and tangles as the stringy netting of seeds inside a pumpkin.Scary lanterns were made using potatoes and turnips. This is a model of a Hallowe’en ‘ghost turnip’ taken into the Collection in 1943 from Fintown in Co Donegal.According to Stack, Samhain was the preparation for winter. The colder temperatures and shorter days of fall cued the harvest time for the Celtic people, along with bringing in their cattle from summer pastures.

For many of the early Irish immigrants coming to America, according to Stack, maintaining traditions like Halloween and carving jack-o’-lanterns was a way to stay connected to their loved ones back home in Ireland.Drombeg Stone Circle is a circle of standing stones built by the ancient Celts in County Cork, Ireland. The circle dates back to between 153 B.C. and A.D. 127.Stingy Jack became known as “Jack of the Lantern” and eventually “jack-o’-lantern.” This name would also come to describe the phenomenon of lights flickering over marshes at night.

“The story is based on the story of a man called ‘Stingy Jack’ (pronounced “stin-jee jak”),” said Elizabeth Stack, the Executive Director of the Irish American Heritage Museum in Albany, New York. “There were different versions, but basically they all agree that he was grumpy, possibly less than wholesome in his appetites; and he was mean, stingy, but also kind of mischievous.”So when Jack was dying for the third time, the devil refused to take his soul, and since Jack led a life of misery and cruelty, God wouldn’t take him either.

And that is all for today! We hope that you will find our blog and 25+ beautiful floral pumpkin carving ideas super useful and that you will also try them out in 2020. Oh, and don’t forget to share the blog with your loved ones!Now, we know that when we hear the word ‘Halloween’, only scare things come to our mind but you know what? You can also bring something different and floral to your party by entirely changing the mood. Wondering how that can be done? Well, it is simple, and you can do it with our 25+ beautiful floral pumpkin carving ideas that you must try in 2020. We know this for a fact that many of you want to flaunt their creative thoughts and carving skills this year, so we thought to help you guys with something that makes everything pretty.

Hi there beautiful people! We hope that our previous blog was a fun piece for all of you and that you have (finally) started planning about the Halloween party that you will throw this year. Keeping in mind that not a lot of time is left, we decided to work on something interestingly easy as well as attractive for you guys to look at and try too. So, let’s get started! Once you have seated for the carving, also make sure that you have enough tissue papers, a dust bin or two, cleaning clothes and of course a mug of coffee to help you get going. When you have carved your pumpkins, you will also have to make a bleach + water solution to spray it on the pumpkins as it will keep them fresh for at least 2 days and you can also freeze them when they are not being used. As far as the quantity of the pumpkins is concerned, that is totally up to you – because only you and your family members would know how many pumpkins you guys can carve before the party, yeah!? To make sure that the pumpkins are fresh, you need to check the stems and avoid pumpkins that have bruises as they will make other pumpkins bad too. The easiest trick is to see which pumpkins have a dark orange shade and are also heavy for their size and you will be good to go.

Then comes the part where you have to decide what stencils should be carved out on the pumpkins. This can take some time so, always sit for this task knowing that you might have to spend at least half an hour to shortlist the stencils and ideas for your pumpkins. We suggest you guys to purchase a nice pumpkin carving kit for yourself – honestly, that is like a one time investment and you will be surprised to see the results too. Just take it out of your cabinet and carve like a pro!In an ideal situation, you must get done with the pumpkin shopping at least two days before the Halloween. There are multiple reasons for that like you would want to avoid crowded super markets or pumpkin farms for that matter and since almost everyone will be out for their pumpkin shopping, it is just better to be get done and over with it in peace while you still can. We have mentioned this in our previous blogs too that whenever you go to purchase pumpkins, always look out for the ones that have peculiar bumps and shapes. Sizes matter as well so you might want to get the pumpkins in different sizes.

Okay now come to the point – and that’s the 25+ beautiful floral pumpkin carving ideas that we have created for you guys to help you make your 2020’s Halloween party a hit. Our carving ideas cover different types of flowers, petals and patterns that look like flowers so that you have a variety of options to choose from. Once done with the carving, you must place inside enough artificial candles to light them up attractively.Cornish folklorist Dr. Thomas Quiller Couch (d. 1884) recorded the use of the term in a rhyme used in Polperro, Cornwall, in conjunction with Joan the Wad, the Cornish version of Will-o’-the-wisp. The people of Polperro regarded them both as pixies. The rhyme goes:

By those who made them, the lanterns were said to represent either spirits or supernatural beings, or were used to ward off evil spirits. For example, sometimes they were used by Halloween participants to frighten people, and sometimes they were set on windowsills to keep harmful spirits out of one’s home. It has also been suggested that the jack-o’-lanterns originally represented Christian souls in purgatory, as Halloween is the eve of All Saints’ Day (1 November)/All Souls’ Day (2 November).Jack-o-lanterns were also a way of protecting one’s home against the undead. Superstitious people used them specifically to ward off vampires. They thought this because it was said that the jack-o-lantern’s light was a way of identifying vampires who, once their identity was known, would give up their hunt for you.

Another version of the story says that Jack was getting chased by some villagers from whom he had stolen. He then met Satan, who claimed it was time for him to die. However, the thief stalled his death by tempting Satan with a chance to bedevil the church-going villagers chasing him. Jack told Satan to turn into a coin with which he would pay for the stolen goods (Satan could take on any shape he wanted); later, when the coin (Satan) disappeared, the Christian villagers would fight over who had stolen it. The Devil agreed to this plan. He turned himself into a silver coin and jumped into Jack’s wallet, only to find himself next to a cross Jack had also picked up in the village. Jack closed the wallet tight, and the cross stripped the Devil of his powers; and so he was trapped.

The old time custom of keeping up Hallowe’en was not forgotten last night by the youngsters of the city. They had their maskings and their merry-makings, and perambulated the streets after dark in a way which was no doubt amusing to themselves. There was a great sacrifice of pumpkins from which to make transparent heads and face, lighted up by the unfailing two inches of tallow candle.

There is also evidence that turnips were used to carve what was called a “Hoberdy’s Lantern” in Worcestershire, England, at the end of the 18th century. The folklorist Jabez Allies outlines other derivations of the name, “Hobany’s”, which is most likely derived from “Hob and his”, with other variations including “Hob-o’-Lantern”, “Hobbedy’s Lantern” and “Hobbady-lantern”.In both folktales, Jack lets Satan go only after he agrees to never take his soul. Many years later, the thief died, as all living things do. Of course, Jack’s life had been too sinful for him to go to Heaven; however, Satan had promised not to take his soul, and so he was barred from Hell as well. Jack now had nowhere to go. He asked how he would see where to go, as he had no light, and Satan mockingly tossed him a burning coal, to light his way. Jack carved out one of his turnips (which were his favorite food), put the coal inside it, and began endlessly wandering the Earth for a resting place. He became known as “Jack of the Lantern”, or jack o’lantern.

In 1879’s Funny Nursery Rhymes, a poem admonishes children to avoid being similar to untrustworthy “Master Jack o’ Lantern,” described as a “wicked, deceiving boy” similar to a will-o’-the-wisp who “dances, and jumps, and gambols.” He is humorously illustrated as a personification of a lantern.On October 19, 2013, Keene broke the Boston record and reclaimed the world record for most lit jack-o’-lanterns on display (30,581). The town has now broken the record eight times since the original attempt.

Jack-o’-lanterns carved from pumpkins are a yearly Halloween tradition that developed in the United States when Celtic Americans brought their root vegetable carving tradition with them. It is common to see jack-o’-lanterns used as external and internal decorations prior to and on Halloween.James Fenimore Cooper wrote a nautical novel titled The Jack O’lantern (le Feu-Follet), Or the Privateer (1842). The Jack O’lantern was the name of the ship.

It is an ancient British custom to light great bonfires (Bone-fire to clear before Winter froze the ground) on Hallowe’en, and carry blazing fagots about on long poles; but in place of this, American boys delight in the funny grinning jack-o’-lanterns made of huge yellow pumpkins with a candle inside.To make a jack-o’-lantern, the top of a pumpkin or turnip is cut off to form a lid, the inside flesh is scooped out, and an image—usually a “scary” or “funny” face—is carved out of the rind to expose the hollow interior. A light source, traditionally a flames from a candle or tealight, is placed within before the lid is closed. Artificial jack-o’-lanterns with electric lights are also marketed.

For a long time, Keene, New Hampshire, held the world record for most jack-o’-lanterns carved and lit in one place. The Life is Good Company teamed up with Camp Sunshine, a camp for children with life-threatening illnesses and their families, to break the record. A record was set on October 21, 2006, when 30,128 jack-o’-lanterns were simultaneously lit on Boston Common in downtown Boston, Massachusetts. Highwood, Illinois, tried to set the record on October 31, 2011, with an unofficial count of 30,919 but did not follow the Guinness regulations, so the achievement did not count. The application of the term to carved pumpkins in American English is first seen in 1834. The carved pumpkin lantern’s association with Halloween is recorded in the 1 November 1866 edition of the Daily News (Kingston, Ontario): The carving of vegetables has been a common practice in many parts of the world. It is believed that the custom of making jack-o’-lanterns at Halloween time began in the British Isles. In the 19th century, “turnips or mangel wurzels, hollowed out to act as lanterns and often carved with grotesque faces,” were used on Halloween in parts of Ireland and the Scottish Highlands. In these Gaelic-speaking regions, Halloween was also the festival of Samhain and was seen as a time when supernatural beings (the Aos Sí), and the souls of the dead, walked the earth. Jack-o’-lanterns were also made at Halloween time in Somerset, England (see Punkie Night) during the 19th century.The term jack-o’-lantern was originally used to describe the visual phenomenon ignis fatuus (lit., “foolish fire”) known as a will-o’-the-wisp in English folklore. Used especially in East England, its earliest known use dates to the 1660s.A jack-o’-lantern (or jack o’lantern) is a carved lantern, most commonly made from a pumpkin or a root vegetable such as a rutabaga or turnip. Jack-o’-lanterns are associated with the Halloween holiday. Its name comes from the reported phenomenon of strange lights flickering over peat bogs, called will-o’-the-wisps or jack-o’-lanterns. The name is also tied to the Irish legend of Stingy Jack, a drunkard who bargains with Satan and is doomed to roam the Earth with only a hollowed turnip to light his way.

From natural solutions to preservation methods you can do with products you already have at home, here’s how to preserve your jack-o’-lanterns this fall.Another natural method for preserving a pumpkin is to use the ever-useful ingredient of vinegar. As an article on Taste of Home explains, “To keep your pumpkins looking brand-new throughout October, just fill a large tub with 10 parts water and 1 part vinegar. Let the gourds soak for 20-30 minutes in the bath, then pull them out and let them air-dry.”

This won’t make the pumpkins last forever, of course, but it will help them stay fresh and new-looking for longer — no bleach required. Plus, it’s safe for any pets or wildlife.Avoid leaving your pumpkin outside during freezing temperatures. Ideally, you want to place it somewhere with a temperature in the upper 50s to lower 60s Fahrenheit. So if you’re in an area where freezing weather is likely during October, be sure to bring your pumpkins inside each night. If you see your pumpkin starting to wilt, give it an ice bath overnight for some serious rehydration. Once you take it out, dry it thoroughly to prevent mold growth. Since they’re moist, any bit of exposed pumpkin guts will start to go moldy very quickly. Pumpkin Patches & More suggests cleaning the surface of the pumpkin and the interior with a teaspoon of bleach per one quart of water. (Putting it in a spray bottle makes it easier to apply the solution to the whole pumpkin.) This will sterilize the gourd, killing any existing bacteria. Let it dry fully before you start carving.”Peppermint is a natural anti-fungal and will slow the decomposition process, significantly extending the life of your pumpkin,” the article goes on to say.

If you’re looking to avoid bleach or other options like Vaseline and WD-40 when preserving your pumpkin, there are a few easy tips and tricks, from using ice to utilizing your refrigerator. A lesser known method for naturally preserving a carved pumpkin, though, is with peppermint. As an article on A Few Shortcuts explains, all you have to do is dilute one tablespoon of peppermint dish soap or peppermint essential oil in a quart of water. Then, you pour the mixture into a clean spray bottle and lightly spray the inside of the carved pumpkin.When you’re not showing off your jack-o’-lantern on your porch, put it in a plastic bag in your refrigerator. No room? Keep it in the basement (or any other cool, dark area of your house).The bleach comes into play again post-carving, giving it a good cleansing. Submerge your creation in a bucket filled with water and 2/3 cup of bleach. Leave the pumpkin there to soak for up to 24 hours.There’s nothing that signals the true start to fall quite like putting out Halloween decorations. Whether you adorn your front door with brightly colored mums or you’re more of a fake spider web type of person, the one thing that most Halloween and fall decor lovers can agree on is that pumpkins are necessary. But figuring out how to preserve pumpkins is a bit trickier. Most people can relate to buying a pumpkin too soon in the season only to have it disintegrating or falling apart by the time October 31 rolls around. And while that might add to the spooky vibes of the season, it’s not exactly the ideal aesthetic for most people. Luckily, though, there are quite a few different ways to ensure that your pumpkins last all fall long — even if you live somewhere with warm temperatures.So get that pumpkin patch visit on your calendar now, and while you’re at it do some quick research about how to prepare to preserve those pumpkins, too. It might seem like extra work, but in the long run it’ll save you the stress of having to run to the grocery store or farmer’s market and spend more money on pumpkins that look exactly like the ones you bought three weeks ago.

Using candles inside your carved pumpkins can have a negative effect on them as the heat is essentially cooking the pumpkin. Try using a flickering flameless candles or glow sticks instead.

On the whole, when we’re looking for something good to eat, we’re looking at squash varieties. The classic to grow in this country is the light steel, grey-blue coloured ones known as Crown Prince. They’re regarded as the best for eating quality in the UK. Onion shaped pumpkins/squash are also great, there are plenty of varieties to choose from. Or there’s the warty French variety called ‘Galeux d’Eysines’ which is perfect for pumpkin pie as the wartier they get, the sweeter they are. Kabocha squash are also delicious and manageable in the kitchen.

Start in early to mid-May, ideally on a windowsill or in a green house if you have one. Sow the seed with the pointy end down because that’s where the root comes from. They need warmth to germinate. So warm and moist are the best conditions. They’ll germinate very quickly if they like it within three to five days. Then two or three weeks later plant the sprout out into the garden around late May to early June. Then all you’ve got to do is keep them well watered and in a nice sunny position. And that’s pretty much all they need.We normally start sowing the seed about May time. And then harvest in September or October. So we’re set in four to five months. It’s a very quick growing crop. Not sure what to do with old and used clothes? Even damaged or stained fabrics can still be recycled into something else! Here’s how to keep fabrics in use, and out of landfill. There are thousands of pumpkin cultivars across the world. Each continent has their own. There’s potentially an endless amount because they cross-hybridise really easily. They’re all bred from a set range of different species, of which there’s four or five.Oil isn’t just for frying! Did you know cooking oils like olive oil and coconut oil can be easily reused and repurposed as a rich natural beauty alternative and are handy for cleaning and gardening? Intrigued? Read on.

The best kind of pumpkin for Halloween carving is what’s known as a field pumpkin. They’re characterised by having a very hard, dark green hooked stem, which you can use as a handle. And they’re the ones which are very easy to grow at home, but which we normally end up buying.

Ah yes. This is where we get into the difference between what is a pumpkin and what is a squash. In the world of horticulture, the only difference is the name. As the old phrase goes, a pumpkin is round and orange, a squash is good for eating. So basically a squash is anything that’s not orange, but botanically they’re exactly the same.Looking for some easy baking recipes for your kids? We’ve put together some tasty, simple recipes and tips for cooking with kids that everyone will enjoy making (and eating too).

Pumpkins are really easy to grow. All you need is a sunny, warm position, a nice fertile soil and then a good water once a week. If you’re living in the south of the country they seem to be really easy to grow. I find them exciting because they grow so quickly. There aren’t many other fruits that grow as quick as these! Plus you can grow something completely different from what’s in the shops and have a really individual Halloween pumpkin. And then eat them! You’ll get a better appreciation for the taste if you grow them yourself. #EatYourPumpkinNeed something for a one-off? You probably don’t need to buy it! Got things you rarely use? You don’t need to throw them away! Save or even make yourself some cash with these sustainable tips.

Growing pumpkins at home is easier than you may think, and you can do it within just a few months. We spoke to expert pumpkin grower, Matthew Oliver, RHS horticulturist, to squash the rumours and get some top pumpkin growing tips.Pumpkins are more than a Halloween decoration. They’re a cheap, tasty, nutritious vegetable that grows abundantly in the UK and can be cooked a thousand ways. Here’s our quick guide to cooking with pumpkin.

Pumpkins are exciting because they are the largest fruits on the planet! There’s no other fruit that gets bigger than a pumpkin. So they are the king of the fruit and veg world.As Manchester City and Manchester United face off in the FA Cup Final, we look back to the Manchester is Green challenge which saw fans of both clubs making changes in the kitchen that were good for the planet and for themselves too.How often do you think rubbish ends up on our roads? Tidy Roadsides is tackling roadside litter in Glasgow and Cardiff, with the support of scientific litter mapping by innovative tech company Ellipsis Earth.

Pumpkins are not only delicious, they are packed full of vital antioxidants and vitamins. Get a taste of Halloween with this cauldron of sweet and savoury pumpkin recipes. Don’t fancy eating your pumpkin? Check out these five things you can do with your pumpkin instead of putting it in the bin!Eat It Up is a new grant fund aimed at finding and supporting creative approaches to reducing food waste. The £200,000 fund, launched by Hubbub in partners

Use a carving in your living space, or spiritual meditations for spiritual growth, and insight to be activated. They combine wonderfully with other crystals that you are using. Feel free to combine different sizes and types of carving pieces together to make powerful healing and spirit-filled grid.

Revered by ancient peoples, Rose Quartz naturally tugs at one’s heartstrings as a spiritual aphrodisiac. It gently nurtures and grows unconditional love for oneself, your partner, family, friends, community, and the Earth. Activating the heart’s deepest yearnings for love and acceptance draws people and affection to you. Keep it at the bedside for romantic dreams of your Soul Mate and call that partner to your side. Rose Quartz is helpful to dissolve feelings of loneliness, isolation, grief, worry, or fear.I love your painting; it’s so pretty! I also went to this event and thought that it was a great way to de-stress during prelim season. Hopefully I’ll be able to come back next year. Your painting is really nice. I went to this event and it was my first time, which made the entire experience more interesting. What inspired you to make a tree with different colored leaves? Painting a pumpkin was a fun experience for me and perfectly timed for Halloween and Thanksgiving. It was a great Sunday night break from classes and homework and a nice socialization activity. I have not painted 0r carved a pumpkin in a long time, since I was a young child, so it brought back lots of memories. There was a big turnout at the event so I’m glad that lots of people took advantage of this fun opportunity. There were lots of pumpkins that were the perfect size for carving and painting (not too small and also not too big that they would be difficult to carry), and lots of tools, so overall the event was planned and put together very well.Your pumpkin is so beautiful! I definitely could not do something like that at all. Even though it is closer to Christmas than Halloween today, seeing this fun activity makes me want to put on a costume! I hope it was a fun, de-stressing activity for you.

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Tim Agnello, a pastor at Mosaic Church, poses for a portrait on Thursday, June 22, 2023, at the Mosaic Church in Henderson. Agnello catches rattlesnakes in his spare time for locals in the Las Vegas area who find them in their yards. (Madeline Carter/Las Vegas Review-Journal) Once you’ve carved your pumpkin, put petroleum jelly around the carved edges as well as all around the inside to help keep it moisturized. This will ensure the pumpkin stays fresh for a longer amount of time. If you don’t have any Vaseline on hand, you can always try these other options: Before you put your pumpkin out on display, or after it’s already been put out and has begun to shrivel, pamper your pumpkin with a bath — a cold bath. A quick ice water bath can breathe new life into your pumpkin, especially if it’s already started to wilt a little. Here are some pumpkin bath tips:According to the Alzheimer’s Association, Nevada is expected to see a 30 percent increase from 2020 to 2025 in people 65 and older with Alzheimer’s. (Getty Images)

Although tradition is to cut a hole at the top of your pumpkin before gutting and carving it, this is probably the worst thing you can do as far as the life of your pumpkin is concerned: Removing the stem of any fruit or vegetable will cut its life short. Instead, cut the back or even the bottom of the pumpkin out.

After the pumpkin is completely gutted and cleaned with a bleach solution, be sure to let it dry fully before carving or setting it outside. If your pumpkin is still wet when you set it outside, mold is more likely to form. Here are some pumpkin drying tips: Alternatively, if you’re not the DIY type, you could also buy some Pumpkin Fresh spray, online or at the store; it’s said to do wonders for all pumpkins. The average price of a pumpkin is $5.40, according to data from the Department of Agriculture, and that can really add up if you plan on decorating and carving multiple pumpkins this Halloween.At this point, it might seem like your pumpkin has become pretty high-maintenance. But the key to keeping your pumpkin fresh longer is making sure it stays moisturized.

Peppermint has anti-fungal properties, which will help keep fungus and mold away. Use this homemade spray on the inside, outside and especially around any carved edges of your pumpkin to help keep it moisturized.“Still working” are magic words when it comes to enrolling in Medicare Part B past age 65 and losing your or your spouse’s company benefits. (Getty Images)

Once carved, pumpkins will generally only hold up for three to five days — or up to two weeks if you live in a colder climate — before wilting and showing signs of decay. And that’s not very long when you’ve worked so hard on your masterpiece.Travelers use their electronic devices while sitting on the floor of the departures area of Terminal B at LaGuardia Airport, Tuesday, June 27, 2023, in New York. Travelers waited out widespread delays at U.S. airports on Tuesday, an ominous sign heading into the long July 4 holiday weekend, which is shaping up as the biggest test yet for airlines that are struggling to keep up with surging numbers of passengers. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer) For anyone navigating the arduous journey as an Alzheimer’s caregiver, we’ve compiled a list of aid and resources available from local and national providers. Make a solution of 1 tablespoon of bleach per quart of water and use it to thoroughly clean out the pumpkin. Bleach helps kill bacteria and get rid of dirt, which will prevent the pumpkin from growing mold too quickly. Plus, the cleaner the pumpkin, the less quickly it will begin to rot.

Jose Rivera, 49, who was told mistakenly that he had HIV, poses for a photo at his attorney’s office, on Friday, June 16, 2023, in Las Vegas. (Bizuayehu Tesfaye/Las Vegas Review-Journal)Lilnetra Grady, chief medical officer at FirstMed Health and Wellness Center, right, talks with patient Serenity Oliveira on Tuesday, Feb. 21, 2023, in Las Vegas. (Chase Stevens/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @csstevensphoto

Not many can carve quite like Farmer Mike Valladao, who’s a seasoned pro, but we thought we’d share some of his amazing creations for inspiration! All photos taken by Susan Valladao.For the more adventurous carver, try making a 3D pumpkin face. You will need more than a knife. It helps to have a clay loop tool, which you can buy at a crafts store.

Carving a pumpkin for Halloween? There are a number of things that you can do to make it last as long as possible! Here are five tips to make carved pumpkins (jack-o’-lanterns) last longer, plus more pumpkin-carving advice!Since we’re talking about carved pumpkins, we thought it might also be helpful to share some pumpkin-carving tips from a master. “Farmer Mike” Valladao has been carving pumpkins ever since he saw a 612-pound pumpkin at a festival. Here are some great tips:

Peel the pumpkin’s skin off where you want to carve a face. Peel off that surface just as you would peel a carrot. Then draw your design on the pumpkin. Follow the lines, carving beneath the line, digging out the feature. For example, cut a line for a mouth and carve below. Exaggerate the features. (If you aren’t sure what teeth really look like or how the gum line works, smile and look in the mirror.) Take care not to jab the blade into the pumpkin; you don’t want to cut all the way through the rind—except to determine its depth.

WASH YOUR HANDS! And arms too, if you’re reaching inside. The salt and bacteria on little (and big) fingers can destroy a pumpkin quicker than warm weather. Low temperature roasting of seeds may not kill all bacteria present so start with a clean workspace, clean utensils, and very clean hands!Little critters aren’t the only gourd gourmands in your neighborhood; deer love them, too. Evan and Soria have found that putting jack-o’-lanterns right outside your door can dissuade larger animals from stopping by for a bite.

Like the ghouls and ghosts who spook us every Halloween, jack-o’-lanterns—so tempting to tiny predators and susceptible to mold and rot—are not really meant for this earthly plane.

However, if you’re determined to make your jack-o’-lantern endure for as long as humanly possible, Evan and his Maniac Pumpkin Carvers co-founder, Chris Soria, say you can take several preventative steps to decelerate its demise. I also spoke to Wirecutter contributor Taryn Mohrman, who wrote our step-by-step guide on how to carve a jack-o’-lantern, for further advice. Just keep in mind that, as Evan pointed out, “Even with everything that you do to try and preserve them, sometimes they still rot in three days. But you can always carve more pumpkins.” Fresh pumpkins last longer, and “typically, the freshest pumpkins are available at farm stands, farmer’s markets, and pumpkin patches,” Evan said. “Pumpkins from grocery stores or big-box stores are never as fresh as when you go directly to the source.” Taryn suggests choosing a spot that’s relatively dry and shady. Avoid grass and direct sunlight, and consider putting your pumpkin on a literal pedestal, such as a turned-over planter, to prevent condensation from accumulating on the bottom.When in doubt, it’s better to cut away some of the pumpkin wall along with the pulp than to leave any pulp behind. While you’re scraping, Taryn adds, “try to keep everything smooth so moisture doesn’t have any channels or divots to build up in.” Because dampness is more of a problem on a pumpkin’s hollowed-out interior than its more rugged exterior, finish by patting the inside dry with a paper towel.

Wirecutter is the product recommendation service from The New York Times. Our journalists combine independent research with (occasionally) over-the-top testing so you can make quick and confident buying decisions. Whether it’s finding great products or discovering helpful advice, we’ll help you get it right (the first time).“The typical jack-o’-lantern normally has a three-day life expectancy at best,” said Marc Evan, co-founder of Maniac Pumpkin Carvers in Brooklyn, New York, in a phone interview. “With something so highly perishable, it’s a very zen thing, to carve a pumpkin knowing that it might not last as long as it took you to make it.”