Halloween Costume Party Ideas: The First Jack-O-Lantern

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Traditional Halloween Decorations

Traditional Irish Crafts: The Halloween Carved Turnip Head
Source: Kevin Danaher, The Year in Ireland

The carved turnip head is essential for the creation of a proper Irish atmosphere for Halloween - October 31.

Turnip lanterns come from the Isle of Man. It was named for a man called Jack, who could not enter heaven because he was a miser, and could not enter hell either, because he had played jokes on the devil. As a result, Jack had to walk the earth with his lantern until Judgment Day.

The turnip is not really a turnip at all - it's a rutabaga. Once it is carved and lit up with a candle it glows with an eerie yellow-ivory skull-like quality! When suspended it looks just like a skull floating in the night! The shape is much more skull-like than any pumpkin could ever be!
(By the way...the ancient Celts had no pumpkins!)

Find a big one.

Materials:

1. One large rutabaga (turnip) - the larger the better

2. One sharp knife

3. One teaspoon

4. Newspaper

5. Container for the leftover grated turnip

6. Small candle

7. Sturdy wire - about 12 inches

Flatten top, scoop it out.

Instructions:

1. Cut the top off the turnip - not too far down.

2. Using the knife, carve out a hole into the top of the turnip.

3. Once there is enough room use the teaspoon to hollow out the turnip so that the turnip is translucent - so when you hold it up to the light you can see it glow.

4. Using a sharp knife, carve a Celtic face into the turnip shell. Remember! this is not a pumpkin so no pumpkin gap tooth smile. Select a good Celtic face!

5. Flatten the inside of the base making a slight depression to hold the candle.

6. Light candle and drip wax into the depression in the center. Stick candle upright in the hot wax.

7. Pierce a hole in each side of the top of the turnip.

8. Insert the wire for a handle.

9. Use the leftover grated turnip for dinner! Very healthy!

You are ready to bring the Celtic Spirit to your Halloween celebration. A line of lit turnip heads on your buffet table can be quite scary!

Try this good Celtic face.

Be sure to cut out the eyes

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