According to Statista, roughly 154 million Americans planned to carve a pumpkin as part of their Halloween celebrations in 2023. Even you must have already done it and probably adorned your house with it. But do you know where the tradition of carving pumpkins emerged from?
Well, believe it or not, these demonic faces have Irish roots stemming from none other than the lore of “Stingy Jack” who fooled the Devil and roamed the earth for eternity with his turnip lantern. Thus, the name “Jack-of-the-Lantern” or simply “jack-o’-lantern” came to be, as Irish folk saw him roaming with his lantern, and they also started carving turnips, and later, pumpkins!
Today, pumpkin carving has taken a whole new turn as it’s not limited to one thing but explores almost everything. To get expert insights about this wonderful art, Bored Panda reached out to Adam Bierton, a professional sculptor and pumpkin carver who’s famous for his 3D-style pumpkin carvings and his season 5 victory of the popular Food Network series Halloween Wars in 2015.
From a very young age, he fell in love with the magic of Halloween. He said, “It became an outlet for my creativity long before I even realized I was an artist. The excitement, creativity, and freedom to transform an ordinary pumpkin into something spectacular hooked me early on, and it’s become a true passion ever since.”
When we asked Adam about his artistic style, he described it as playful and always evolving. He spoke about how he loves experimenting with different themes and techniques, constantly pushing the boundaries of what pumpkin carving can be.
“What sets my work apart is my incorporation of other fruits and vegetables, like crafting potato and carrot eyeballs or using sweet potato tongues to enhance the design. These little details really bring my creations to life and surprise people in unexpected ways,” he added.
While speaking about the challenges he faces in his art, Adam explained that every pumpkin presents a unique challenge—its shape, texture, and thickness all influence the final result. He believes that’s part of what makes carving pumpkins so exciting as no two carvings are ever the same.
He said, “I approach each pumpkin as its own puzzle, and that variety is what keeps me motivated.” Well, Adam definitely makes the whole pumpkin carving process sound super interesting, doesn’t he?
We also had some fun debunking myths about pumpkins with Adam and he specified these ones:
- You don’t have to cut off the top to scoop and light a pumpkin! I often carve the bottom or the back to preserve the stem and improve the presentation.
- “Pumpkin pie” often isn’t pumpkin at all. It’s usually made from a type of squash called Dickinson.
- And the beloved “pumpkin spice”? It doesn’t contain any pumpkin! It’s just a mix of spices that pair well with pumpkin but contains none of the orange stuff itself.
Adam emphasized that pumpkin carving is an incredible way to unleash creativity, and he firmly believes its potential is limitless. He narrated how it’s not just about traditional Jack-o’-lanterns anymore—it’s about creating sculptures, exploring artistic concepts, and telling stories.
“The beauty of pumpkin carving is that it’s temporary. These works are meant to rot, which makes the process about the experience and not just the final result. The fact that they are ephemeral also pushes artists to experiment freely, knowing the work won’t last forever,” Adam explained in quite a poetic manner.
Lastly, we wanted to know his thoughts about how he sees this art evolving and the brilliant pumpkin carver mentioned, “I also see pumpkin carving becoming more collaborative, with brands and influencers embracing the art as part of their seasonal campaigns. The future of pumpkin carving lies in blending tradition with new techniques to inspire future generations to continue evolving the craft.”
We are sure the incredible expertise from Adam will motivate you, dear readers, into carving the most stunning masterpieces this Spooktober. With that, we would like to give the platform over to you as you choose which carving you liked the most and type away your answers in the comments. Also, here’s to hoping you have a fantastic Halloween!
