When it comes to carving up a jack-o’-lantern for Hallowe’en, most people will go for the pumpkin.
Thanks to a heavy dose of American influence in our day-to-day lives, you can see a pumpkin in just about every porch and living room window in Ireland at this time of year.
However, there are plenty of households in Ireland that still go down the traditional route and carve their jack-o’-lantern out of turnips — which is exactly how the idea of carving vegetables at this time of year began.
The Museum of Country Life in Mayo have turnip jack-o’-lanterns as part of their exhibit and after just one glance it’s easy to see that these veggies are about ten times as scary as your most horrifying pumpkin.
We invented Halloween. We used to do it properly. Museum of Country Life, Castlebar. #turnips pic.twitter.com/ul1bgabbZf
— John Kelly tweets (@johnkellytweets) October 30, 2016
Today's Fact: Jack o' Lanterns originated in Ireland. Hollowed-out turnips with candles in to keep away ghosts on the Samhain holiday. pic.twitter.com/Ah6ns8W3Lh
— Andy Nyman (@andynyman) October 30, 2016
Whereas pumpkins are big and round and bright orange, turnips are an ungodly, shapeless mess of splotchy ugly colours that vaguely resemble the skulls of some kind of alien race that’s out to destroy us.
Spooky Halloween facts… Jack O'Lanterns were originally made from turnips #Crafturday 🎃🎃🎃🎃 pic.twitter.com/O1H3miww2r
— Poppy's Cupcakes (@poppyscupcakes) October 29, 2016
Pumpkins cannot compete with this kind of weirdness.
Did you know… Jack 'O Lanterns used to be carved out of turnips 🎃🎃🎃🎃 pic.twitter.com/QS5WIUGZUs
— Poppy's Cupcakes (@poppyscupcakes) October 30, 2016
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