Your Halloween Pumpkin’s Worst Enemy — And How To Beat It

(99.9 KTDY) - What would a celebration of Halloween be without a pumpkin carved into a Jack O'Lantern? Unless your pumpkin rots! Pumpkins provide another avenue of delight to Halloween, but if you carve your pumpkin too early, you might be sadly disappointed that it's rotted by the time October 31 rolls around.

If you decide to carve your pumpkin early, consider how to prevent it from turning into a rotting mess on your front porch or in your garage. Mold and rot are the enemies of carving early.

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The Old Farmer's Almanac explains that a carved pumpkin will only last 3 days to a week after you have put the knife into it. So, this begs the question, "Why do we do this anyway?"

Why Do We Carve Pumpkins?

The practice, according to America Comes to Life, comes from the Celtic people who inhabited the Western region of Europe many centuries ago. Without pumpkins, the Celts would carve other types of gourds native to their area.

The Ancient Origins Of Pumpkin Carving

They would carve them out and place a candle inside to ward off evil spirits. It coincides with the end of the summer harvest.

The gourdes also symbolized how the light in them would guide the good spirits to the homes of the people walking to and from the huge bonfires they would build at the end of harvest.

How Did The Tradition of Carving Pumpkins Come to America?

As more people began to immigrate to America, they discovered the pumpkins were larger than the gourds, and they made great Jack O'Lanters.

How The Jack O’Lantern Got Its Name

They are called Jack O'Lanterns after we carved them based on a folktale about a man named Jack who made a bargain with the devil and his spirit to roam the earth for all time. The story has so many details that you should read the version presented by the website, How Stuff Works.

Jack O'Lanterns Ward Off Evil Spirits

The Jack O'Lantern is supposed to ward off all evil spirits, but there is more to the whole situation. This video provides an in-depth look at various topics.

What Can I Use To Preserve My Carved Pumpkin Longer?

Something you likely have in your toolbox, garage, or laundry room can help preserve your pumpkin's life after it's carved. There are three easy options offered in the video below.

When you want to carve up your pumpkin and enjoy it longer than just Halloween night, you have to worry that it's going to get all moldy and cave in on itself. No one wants to experience that and hear their child cry!

Household Hacks To Save Your Pumpkin

More than likely, you have these things in your kitchen cabinets or the garage. Here are some simple tips to help your carved pumpkin last longer.

Using a battery-powered flameless candle is a simple way to preserve your pumpkin after carving. Those aren't the only tricks.

Other people also have their own hacks for preserving pumpkins after carving. HGTV Home offers some great suggestions to help you keep your carved pumpkin looking its best for as long as possible. You should check it out!

Pumpkin Preservation Myths vs. Facts

What's the point of trying these ideas if they don't work? If you're wondering, do these things work? See for yourself.