ON CULTURE:
The Annual
Pumpkin Carving
WORDS BY
Oliver Long
In the spirit of Halloween, the
Wheeler Latin Club hosted
another traditional event. This
was a large-scale pumpkin-
carving party in which the club
gathered to grind pumpkins
into unique and artistic shapes.
Perhaps the most notable
aspect of the occasion was how
the club’s sponsor, Mr. Ward,
introduced various life-hacks
that eliminate the most
difficult parts of the carving
process. For example, the top
of the pumpkin was removed
using a specific type of electric
saw, and the cut extended
down into one side,
THE TORCH | 4
rather than the traditional
circular incision, enabling the
gourds to be gutted in a matter
of minutes.
One may wonder, What does
this have to do with classical
tradition? The short answer is
that it is completely unrelated.
The origin of pumpkin carving
can be traced through Celtic
myth, but most historians agree
that the Romans had no inkling
of Halloween until Christianity
became a significant part of
their culture. At this point, the
Romans began celebrating All
Souls’ Day.