Halloween comes to everyone as boatloads of candy, a thrilling night for costumes and, of course, pumpkin traditions. People have shown their Halloween spirit in a variety of ways. Pumpkin carvings have ranged from goofy faces to intricate designs. Although some, like myself, use pumpkins for recipes rather than decoration.

Katherine Knorr, a student in the class of 2026 at HBHS, shares, “My mom believes carving pumpkins is a waste of food, so she cuts and cooks them to make these dried pumpkin bars.” A delicious autumn treat for Halloween night. However, when asked what theme of pumpkin carving she would do, “Something super detailed and cute,” she said, continuing to say, “I’d probably cut out a cat with diamond stars in the background”.

Following the pattern, Lydia Coller, a worker of Ledgewood Bay Assisted Living, says, “I never carve pumpkins, but we make a lot of stuff with it,” further explaining, “Like pumpkin puree for pies, or even cook the pumpkin seeds with cinnamon for a snack that calls for crunch.” The famous pumpkin seeds never cease to disappoint.

However, Jenn Klen, another worker at Ledgewood Bay Assisted Living, says “my son and I just do the traditional Halloween carvings with the triangle eyes and nose– simple and scary.” It’s always nice to see a traditional pumpkin carving to bring us a view of Halloween in the past. 

Moreover, it seems many have innovated pumpkins to be a treat for the Halloween season in comparison to the popularity of pumpkin carvings. For Halloween, the descent of one tradition leads to the beginning of another. Surely Halloween isn’t the only holiday to evolve in a different custom.