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 (14)
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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'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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All About the Pumpkin
All About the PumpkinVideo Clip (1:28)
Video Clip (1:28)
Everything you ever wanted to know about the pumpkin, but were afraid to ask.
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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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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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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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Pumpkin Carving: Alan Shepard on the Moon
Pumpkin Carving: Alan Shepard on the MoonVideo Clip (1:50)
Video Clip (1:50)
Pumpkin carver Steve Clarke carves Alan Shepard's moon landing into a pumpkin.
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Pumpkin Carving: Ben Franklin
Pumpkin Carving: Ben FranklinVideo Clip (1:55)
Video Clip (1:55)
Pumpkin carver Steve Clarke takes us through some of his more intricate carvings.
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Pumpkin Carving: George Washington
Pumpkin Carving: George WashingtonVideo Clip (1:40)
Video Clip (1:40)
Pumpkin carver Steve Clarke carves the bust of George Washington into a Pumpkin.
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Pumpkin Carving: History of the Jack O'Lantern
Pumpkin Carving: History of the Jack O'LanternVideo Clip (1:09)
Video Clip (1:09)
Steve Clark, the world's fastest pumpkin carver, takes us through some of his more intricate carvings.
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Pumpkin Carving: Mount Rushmore
Pumpkin Carving: Mount RushmoreVideo Clip (1:17)
Video Clip (1:17)
Pumpkin carver Steve Clarke shows us how to carve Mount Rushmore.
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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: 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.
Photo Galleries (1)
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Halloween
Halloween(14 Photos)
14 Photos
Halloween is celebrated on October 31st. See images from this colorful and creepy holiday.
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Read More about History of Trick-or-Treating
Trick-or-treating—going from house to house in search of candy and other goodies—has been a popular Halloween tradition in the United States and other countries for an estimated 100 years.
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