What’s the one autumnal product that absolutely has to have candles? You’ve got it: carved Halloween pumpkins! Carving pumpkins is a long-standing tradition, which has its roots in Anglo-Saxon countries and blew over with the rest of the Halloween festivities.
Halloween originated in the Celtic feast of Samhain, which is mainly celebrated in Ireland and Great Britain. The Celts believed that on that day the door to the underworld was ajar, allowing the ghosts and spirits of those who had passed away to cross over to our world. This explains the rather spooky scenes used in decoration. Later this festival became mixed up with the Christian celebration of All Saints. It wasn’t until a good 150 years ago, in the 19th century, that the celebration also spread to America and Canada via the early settlers.
Over the last 20 years the festivities have also become very popular (commercially) in Europe, driven this time by … the American culture.
It’s actually quite easy to carve a pumpkin but it does require a sharp knife and a little creativity. The most classic method is to place the pumpkin stalk-side up and to chop the end off. You then slice off the top, hollow it out and make the necessary holes as eyes, nose and mouth.
What’s even more fun is to place the pumpkin on its side and use the stalk as a nose. The grooves in the pumpkin can add extra personality to the mask. Tea lights used to be recommended but we now advise using our new odourless XL Clearlights. Clearlights have a transparent cup allowing better light dispersion, which is just what you need in a hollow pumpkin. Not only are there tea lights in a transparent cup, which burn for 4.5 hours, you now also have transparent tea lights that burn for a grand total of 10 hours.
Also great fun are the figures, which turn your carved pumpkin into a real Halloween lantern. These can be made using stylised silhouettes of cats, witches, bats or trees. The simpler, the better.
Best of all are the real works of art of course: pumpkins that have been carved so realistically that they almost seem alive. When we went out looking we even found an artist who had incorporated ‘The potato eaters’, the painting by Vincent Van Gogh into his pumpkin. Sometimes they are not hollowed out, which decreases the lovely effect with light inside.
Whatever your plans with the family this autumn holiday, do try out the transparent XL Clearlights in your pumpkin. Our very latest product will give your pumpkin an even more magnificent and intense glow!
Proud of your own carved pumpkin? Tag your most beautiful design online with #spaasmoment and we might just pick you as a winner!
Do you want to know where you can buy your favorite Spaas candle? Find the closest shops in your neighborhood by using the store locator. Check it out now!
