Thread: Some Traditions We Don't Need

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Last year my kids went to Universal Studios for Halloween Horror Nights, and saw this massive pumpkin patch they had set up down there, but all the pumpkins were lit Jack-o-Lanterns. My oldest son thought that was a really cool sight, and on Oct 30th at about 9:00PM, decided it would be a great idea to recreate the effect in our yard. He went to WalMart and bought 20 pumpkins and brought them back to the house. I don't know if anyone else knows what it's like to clean and cut 20 pumpkins in one shot, but I can tell you it isn't easy, clean, or fun! It was pretty neat sitting in the living room making Jack-o-Lanterns and watching horror movies all night, but we didn't get done until almost 5:00AM! No big deal when you're 22, HUGE deal when you're 49!

Now my kids are telling me they want to do it again this year, just have the BIG CUT on Saturday night/Sunday morning, but I gotta tell you, I never thought I would get too old for anything Halloween, but I think this is one tradition I can do without.

I carved 13 last year for Halloween. I absolutely LOVE my jacks for Halloween but even with that many and doing it a couple days ahead of time I found it a bit much so I can just imagine how you were feeling with 20 the night before Halloween!!

LMAO I know what you mean. I love pumpkins and always carve a fair few, but when you've got more than about 4 or 5 to do it becomes a bit of a mission and it takes a LONGGG time! Plus pumpkin guts are pretty messy and unpleasant. It's the stringiness that gets me.

Can you have a 'pumpkin carving' night with a few friends? Supply something easy for food and drink and have everyone carve a pumpkin (or two)?

Hehe hehehehe! We got overwhelmed one Halloween and used power tools to quicken the process! So much for Old Fashioned Family Fun!

Yeah, I cleaned 60 myself last year.


Tips:

Clean them all, then carve them all. Reduces mess, time, and gets the unfun cleaning part out of the way quick.
Stencils take a lot longer...
Those little pumpkin carving kit knives tend to suck and take forever. Kitchen knives tend to crack the pumpkin. Try to find this kind of blade:

Best pumpkin knives around, and you can't cut yourself. (Savers had some last time I was in)
Many hands make light work.

We just saw a drill attachment at a hardware store for cleaning out the innards. It has 4 curved blades on a long handle. I guess it would clean out and smooth the rind pretty quickly...

The drill attachment is called a pumpkin gutter. Makes very quick work of cleaning the seeds and strings out the the pumpkin. (once you get the hang of it).

Originally Posted by Bruzilla

Last year my kids went to Universal Studios for Halloween Horror Nights, and saw this massive pumpkin patch they had set up down there, but all the pumpkins were lit Jack-o-Lanterns. My oldest son thought that was a really cool sight, and on Oct 30th at about 9:00PM, decided it would be a great idea to recreate the effect in our yard. He went to WalMart and bought 20 pumpkins and brought them back to the house. I don't know if anyone else knows what it's like to clean and cut 20 pumpkins in one shot, but I can tell you it isn't easy, clean, or fun! It was pretty neat sitting in the living room making Jack-o-Lanterns and watching horror movies all night, but we didn't get done until almost 5:00AM! No big deal when you're 22, HUGE deal when you're 49!

Now my kids are telling me they want to do it again this year, just have the BIG CUT on Saturday night/Sunday morning, but I gotta tell you, I never thought I would get too old for anything Halloween, but I think this is one tradition I can do without.

...You just need a few drinks. Maybe some spiked apple cider.... this is a big job, but think of the memories. Your son loves Halloween; that's worth a few stringy pumpkin-guts. And he'll tell his children about this in turn... you'll be a Halloween legend in your family.

Edit: years ago, on another forum I used to participate on, someone posted pix from a haunted farm they visited. They had this entire HILLSIDE covered with white tombstones, interspersed with at least 50 white jack o'lanterns and a few cheesecloth ghosts a la Martha Stewart. AWE. SOME.

I use a hand held drywall saw. It cuts like butter and a 1000 times safer than a knife. I have something for the pumpkin guts but I forget where i got it. It's wide, oval and "teeth" on one side. A few scoops and I'm done.
My days of spending more than 10 minutes on a pumpkin are LONG gone.


Also, buy a few road flares at wallmart. (3 pack for 4 bucks i think)
cut a hole in the back of a carved pumpkin, keep the top "lid" on, light the flare and slide it in.
The light is intense and it gives off smoke for added effect.
It only lasts for about 3 minutes though.
I can't tell you how many "oooohhhh" and "aaAAAAHHHHHS" you're going to get.
the road flare burns like a candle though and you can't put it out until it's done so be prepared if it falls out. (takes one or two tries) just grab it and put it back in.