In our household, we haven’t made a jack-o-lantern since we were children (and even then, only once or twice out of curiosity and not missing out on a tradition). We don’t like to make jack-o-lanterns because the idea of cutting up a pumpkin (which is food), letting it rot for a few weeks, then throwing it in the garbage is anathema to us.
We often forgo real pumpkins in general, instead favoring plastic or foam ones, but for the past few Halloweens we have gotten a real pumpkin, left it uncut, put it on the porch as decoration, then after Halloween turned it into a pumpkin pie (which I was surprised to learn a few years ago is awesome!).
Last year, the local squirrels took a couple of nibbles out of the pumpkin out of curiosity but left it alone. We cut a chunk out of the nibble areas and pied the rest.
This year, we got a few small pumpkins and put them on the porch as decoration. There were four or five little pumpkins of various shapes, sizes, and colors. It was pretty nice.
What is really amusing is that like last year, the squirrels took a couple of small bites out of the pumpkins, but unlike last year, they were not random bites; the squirrels apparently decided to make their own jack-o-lanterns.
Here’s a few of the pumpkins, and as you can see, one of them has not been touched, one has a sort of abstract looking miserable-ghost look to it, and one has a legitimately sinister look which is very amusing; too bad it doesn’t have a fang-y mouth, maybe the squirrels got bored and gave up. 🙂
