I’ve come across variations on the tale of why we carve faces into pumpkins (originally turnips) at Halloween. The most popular seems to be that the Irish started it as a way of warding off a local spirit who was doomed to wander the earth with just a burning coal to light his way. Other tales say that the carved faces ward off demons and evil spirits in general (a concern due to the thinning of the veil between life and death) whilst others say that the bright light shines as a beacon for good spirits and ancestors. Here is my 2024 lantern … May he keep evil away from my home, but let the good spirits know that they are welcome.
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