Jack o'lanterns have been a part of Halloween celebrations for centuries, and each year on October 31, doorsteps and windows across the United States are still illuminated with glowing carved pumpkins. Pumpkin carving designs can range from simple to intricate and from silly to spooky, and even historical. Check out the patterns below for some haunting Halloween fun from HISTORY.
Pumpkin Carving Patterns
Ready to take your Halloween pumpkin to the next level? Download printable pumpkin carving patterns featuring bats, ghosts, the American flag, historical figures like George Washington and much more.
Interactives (3)
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Halloween By the Numbers
Halloween By the NumbersInteractive
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Pumpkin Carving Patterns
Pumpkin Carving PatternsInteractive
Videos (18)
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Halloween's Origins
Halloween's OriginsVideo Clip (1:12)
Video Clip (1:12)
Timothy Dickinson gives his take on one of our most popular holidays.
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Haunted History of Halloween
Haunted History of HalloweenVideo Clip (2:46)
Video Clip (2:46)
Halloween was originally called Samhain and marked the end of the harvest season for Celtic farmers.
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Halloween: The Face of Fear
Halloween: The Face of FearVideo Clip (1:51)
Video Clip (1:51)
Primal Fear suggests two functions of the facial expression of fear.
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Halloween: Primal Fear: Why We Like To Be Scared
Halloween: Primal Fear: Why We Like To Be ScaredVideo Clip (1:59)
Video Clip (1:59)
Primal Fear suggsts why people like to be scared.
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The Ghosts of Slater Mill
The Ghosts of Slater MillVideo Clip (3:12)
Video Clip (3:12)
Do the ghosts of America's industrial past haunt the Slater Mill historic museum in Pawtucket, Rhode Island?
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The Bonanza Hotel
The Bonanza HotelVideo Clip (3:12)
Video Clip (3:12)
Virginia City, Montana's Bonanza Hotel was many things: A court house, a nunnery, a hotel for tourists. Now its the residence for the ghosts of a nun, a cowboy, and two small children.
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The Fargo
The FargoVideo Clip (2:20)
Video Clip (2:20)
In Virginia City, Montanas old Wells Fargo building, the apparition of a woman in a blue dress is seen walking through tables and hanging out in the back of the restaurant...by the morgue.
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The Fairweather
The FairweatherVideo Clip (4:00)
Video Clip (4:00)
In Virginia City, Montana's Fairweather Hotel, sometimes the guests in this Gold Rush era hotel can't be seen but they can be felt.
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Ghosts of Alcatraz
Ghosts of AlcatrazVideo Clip (2:52)
Video Clip (2:52)
The cells of Alcatraz have been empty for decades, but some believe the ghosts of inmates past may still roam these sinister hallways.
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Gettysburg Ghosts
Gettysburg GhostsVideo Clip (2:03)
Video Clip (2:03)
In 2001, Tom Underwood shot a video on a battlefield in Gettysburg Pennsylvania that captured what he claimed were ghosts crossing the battlefield.
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The Ghost at the Vatican
The Ghost at the VaticanVideo Clip (1:07)
Video Clip (1:07)
A Canadian television news cast reported that a tourist video may have captured a paranormal sighting in the Vatican. Monsterquest checks out the footage
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The Ghost of Lizzie Borden
The Ghost of Lizzie BordenVideo Clip (2:32)
Video Clip (2:32)
Did a ghost move a MonsterQuest camera at the Lizzie Borden home in Salem, Massachusetts?
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The Ghost of Parma
The Ghost of ParmaVideo Clip (1:47)
Video Clip (1:47)
In 2007, a blue ghostlike figure appeared in a gas station security camera. Although the police dismissed it as a bug, others called the figure a ghost.
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History of Witches
History of WitchesVideo Clip (1:37)
Video Clip (1:37)
Witches were perceived as evil beings by early Christians in Europe, inspiring the iconic Halloween figure.
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Halloween Goes Commercial
Halloween Goes CommercialVideo Clip (2:07)
Video Clip (2:07)
Halloween's commercialization in the United States began in the early 20th century.
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Makeup
MakeupVideo Clip (2:06)
Video Clip (2:06)
Modern Marvels goes behind the scenes of creating a scary Halloween look.
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Candy Corn
Candy CornVideo Clip (2:19)
Video Clip (2:19)
Modern Marvels gets a firsthand look at how Halloween's iconic candy corn is made.
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George Ives
George IvesVideo Clip (2:26)
Video Clip (2:26)
The vigilantes of Nevada City, Montana kept the peace during the gold rush. However some of the outlaws from this wild west town aren't as easy to get rid of as you might think.
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