Pumpkin Scarecrow

The making of the so-called Jack O’Lantern (English: Jack O´Lantern, also pumpkin lantern), which has (re)spread to us from the Celtic tradition of the West, has become ‘domesticated’ in recent years. Such pumpkins are often placed in visible locations, allowing their scary images to glow on the nights around All Saints’ Day. Less known, however, is that the creation of pumpkin scarecrows and scaring with them was a popular autumn children’s game in Koroška (Črneče, Podgora) as late as the 1970s. Hollowed-out pumpkins with burning candles were even placed on poles and used for scaring. At the workshop, we will learn about the ancient Celtic tradition, when on the day before All Saints’ Day, a hollowed-out image announced the beginning of winter and a time when the world of ancestors held greater power. In our region, this tradition was preserved in children’s games until recently. By making a pumpkin scarecrow, we will revive it together. The workshop is suitable for children and adults. Please bring your own pumpkins.