Operation Jack-o-Lantern

So here's the thing.....we all know from the TV and movies how Americans celebrate Christmas. They decorate and really go all out - it's fantastic. Well I would have to say that Halloween comes in a close second. Locals that I spoke to said that Halloween was their favorite holiday, because they get to dress up and have fun.

Unlike in Australia where you have fancy dress for birthday parties, Christmas parties etc, Americans only do fancy dress (or "costumes") once a year and that is Halloween. Regardless of whether it falls on a school night or a weekend, they go all out. And on Halloween night there is a massive Halloween parade that goes up Sixth Avenue. More about the parade later.....

One month before Halloween these "pop-up" Halloween stores open up and sell everything related to Halloween. From costumes, to scary robotics, to fake blood, teeth and blood-sucking babies. They sell it all.




Halloween "Pop-Up" store



A baby doll eating a human brain

A scary creature

Shops, houses, everyone gets in on decorating their place with spider webs, rats and all things gory.

A shop front done up for Halloween

One thing that people do is make jack-o-lanterns out of pumpkins. There is a mad rush a couple of days before Halloween to buy pumpkins and carve out a scary face or scene and then light it up on Halloween. So I decided "when in Rome......" . I bought two pumpkins one for Bryan to carve out and one for me, and on Sunday afternoon we sat down and did it. So if you want to know how to go about it the steps are below.

What you need to make a jack-o-lantern:
* pumpkin
* carving tools
* pattern
You can usually buy the carving tools and patterns in those "Halloween pop-up" stores for $6.00.

2. Make sure you put paper down because the next couple of steps gets messy.

3. Next cut out the bottom of the pumpkin, big enough so that you can fit your hand into it.

4. Now this is the really gross part, start scooping out the innards of the pumpkin. I'll warn you that you will get pumpkin under your nails. But it is all worth it in the end.
5. Next, turn the pumpkin back up on it's top then stick on the pattern.

6. Use the carving wheel (a tool that comes with the pack) and trace around the picture. It should leave tiny dots.

7. Take the paper off and using the drill tool go around the outline drilling holes to make the outline easier to see.

8. Using of the the carving saws in the pack start cutting out the image. And keep going until you have finished.

9. Finally, put a light/torch in your lantern, turn off the lights in the room and admire your handiwork.

Pretty cool huh? All in all, it took us about 3 hours to do. It was a lot of fun!