Oh!-fruit of beloved boyhood!-the old days recalling, when wood grapes were purpling and brown nuts were falling! When wild, ugly faces we carved in its skin, Glaring out through the dark with a candle within!
This excerpt from John Greenleaf Whittier’s The Pumpkin penned in 1850 illustrates the long association between Halloween and the Jack-o’-lantern. Families in Temagami have been carving ugly faces for nearly a decade as part of the Temagami Pumpkin Carving event hosted by the Temagami Parks and Recreation and will have the opportunity to do so once again Oct. 29 at 6:30 p.m. at the Temagami Community Centre.
Each family is provided with a pumpkin, an area to work and tools. Imagination and creativity do the rest. Some families bring their own patterns, and some patterns will be on hand if that is the route the family wishes to take. Families are encouraged to take their work’s of art home to proudly display.
For those wee ones that can’t stay focused on the project at hand, crayons and Halloween drawings will be provided. Hot chocolate and cookies will be on hand for the kids, with hot apple cider for the adults. J.C. Hebert, of Temagami Parks and Recreation, said that last year’s event was such a success that they ran out of pumpkins, all 40 were used. He intends to get 45 or 50 this year, which will hopefully accommodate all of those anxious carvers.
Many members of this active community are pitching in to make this event a success. A portion of the pumpkins are being provided by a local grocery store, candy bags are being bundled by a local seniors’ group and other volunteers are donating their time.
All for the love of jack-o’-lanterns.