One of the most recognizable symbols of Halloween is the pumpkin. It only makes sense. The large orange gourds reach peak size and color in late October and for many cultures, they're used as a sign of a "good harvest". Then somewhere along the way, somebody got the idea to carve a scary face and place a candle into them so they could scare people at night.

Installation Of 3,000 Pumpkins Unveiled In London
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Back in the day, they used turnips instead of pumpkins to make their Jack-O-Lanterns but pumpkins now rule the porch.  It's amazing how long a pumpkin will last if you don't carve it. There are pumpkins that have been sitting on porches in my neighborhood for three or more weeks and they look great, at least from a distance.

However, most of us don't want just a large orange fall decoration for our front doors. We want a glowing ghoulish Halloween face to light up the night when the kids come around asking for candy. That's where we turn our attention to Babs. 

pumpkins
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Actually, she's @brunchwithbabs on Tik Tok and she has taken social media by storm with her pumpkin carving hacks. Have you ever thought of using a hand mixer to help carve your pumpkin? Babs has.

How about instead of opening the pumpkin from the top, you cut it from the bottom? There's a good reason for that and Babs can explain it. In fact, she has half a dozen or so tips in this Tik Tok video that's been viewed by more than 2.5 million people. Take a look.

Those tips are exactly what I need to help me carve a pumpkin that looks good, won't rot so fast, and won't cause me to cut off a finger in the process.

I love the tip about sitting down and the wisdom of the reason for cutting the pumpkin from the bottom may be the best Halloween hack I have ever heard. If you're cutting your pumpkin this weekend, check these helpful hacks out.

Oh and don't forget to blow the candle out when Trick or Treat is over. You don't want to wake up to a blackened pile of pumpkin mush on November 1st. Now, if you really want to see how things were back in the day, keep reading.

LOOK: How Halloween has changed in the past 100 years

Stacker compiled a list of ways that Halloween has changed over the last 100 years, from how we celebrate it on the day to the costumes we wear trick-or-treating. We’ve included events, inventions, and trends that changed the ways that Halloween was celebrated over time. Many of these traditions were phased out over time. But just like fake blood in a carpet, every bit of Halloween’s history left an impression we can see traces of today.

 

 

 

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