As Halloween rolls around, students are busy planning their festivities. Between costume parties and haunted houses, everyone is getting in the Halloween spirit. A common tradition for Halloween is to carve pumpkins, but gone are the days of classic jack-o-lanterns. There’s no need to panic if you haven’t thought of an idea yet. Recently more and more students have gotten creative with their designs, carving cartoon characters and messages to express themselves.
“I plan on carving the boogie man from The Nightmare before Christmas on my pumpkin. It’s my absolute favorite movie. Last year, I made a Jack Skellington pumpkin. I think classic jack-o-lanterns are cool, but I like to be more artistic,” junior Brian Vu said.
In addition to the Nightmare before Christmas, some other popular carvings include Mario and Barack Obama. Every year, the designs get crazier and more unique then before. While many people prefer carving pumpkins, painting pumpkins is also an option. Although carving pumpkins is a traditional Halloween event, timing is key.
“I usually wait to carve my pumpkins until the weekend before Halloween,” Vu said. “That way it’s fresh and the design is clear.”
The options are endless when it comes to pumpkin designs. Carving pumpkins is a tradition that makes students feel young again, gets them in the Halloween spirit, and acts as a creative outlet.
“I’ve seen some pretty cool pumpkin designs online. One was carved to look like a hamburger. I might try something like that this year,” junior Jennifer Tran said.