Jump to content

Can anyone remember carving Swedes at Halloween/Samhain


Recommended Posts

Another one for turnips here

 

We'd HEARD of pumpkins, just couldn't afford to waste money buying one to carve up

 

The bonus with carving up turnips is that you can quite easily end up with a very realistic severed finger to finish your hallow'een look perfectly

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Halloween parties were all about apples too. You'd go out on the street with your turnip lantern and a plastic mask, then it would be round to someone's house for games of apple bobbing (trying to eat them floating in a basin filled with water) or eating apples hunkg on strings, plus lots of treacle toffee.

 

We never did trick or treating.

 

There was something called Mischief Night the day before Halloween when all the local kids would cause general mischief in the area. Removing gates from their posts was a favourite as was tying cotton to someone's door knocker and pulling on it whilst hid across the road :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

yes we had turnips for lanterns when i was a child many moons ago we were told pumpkins are american we have turnips just thought it was the norm we would all have a go at digging the turnip out and mum would use all that came out in the stew the next day waste not want not as she would say ,and no i have no scottish connections

Link to comment
Share on other sites

We used to carve turnips out for halloween in the early 70's, really sore palms of the hands using a spoon, it took ages. Then we tried to get a little 'well' in the bottom to give the tall candle something to sit in. Then we saved it for the 5th November. I was only in my early teens then, don't ever remember seeing pumpkins, turnips were the norm. Had to fit a long string so the heat didn't burn our hand. No Scottish or Irish roots from me but the boy next door had an Irish father and it was their family where I first came across the lantern. I don't remember having a lantern in the 60's.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue.