Do people still do turnip lanterns?

[WhatapityWapiti]

I made one tonight for old times’ sake. It only has a battery candle in it for now, I need a real one to get that proper Halloween smell!

I grew up in Central Scotland in the 70s and 80s but have lived in England for decades.

Do people in Scotland still do turnip lanterns or is it all pumpkins up there too now?

And do children still have to do a party piece when they go guising?

Where I come from, we make lanterns out of sugar beets.

And mangle wurzels, a plant my London friends refused to believe existed!

Yes, I’m Welsh, we made swede or turnip lanterns as children, I want to do one this year, that smell is Halloween to me !

I did them in south London, but I think it was a tradition from my Scottish/Northeastern dad.

And do children still have to do a party piece when they go guising?

I don't give guisers any sweets unless they do a party piece. Even the teenagers.

I can't be arsed with either turnips or pumpkins but salute any traditionalist who do.

It's almost impossible to get big enough neeps nowadays. I'm sure they used to be the size of a heid, now they don't seem to be much bigger than a fist.

We always did turnips/swede (north of England in the early 90’s) I don’t remember ever seeing a real pumpkin in a shop until I was well into my teens.

Glasgow & I do think I’ve seen the odd one on Facebook. I assume those people are some kind of masochists tho, pumpkins so much easier.
small turnips are white or Milan turnips. Quite nice in salads, but I wouldn’t go out of my way for one unlike a neep.

“I would go out of my way for a neep”

There speaks a true Scot

We made turnip lanterns in the 80s (NE England). Looking back I wonder how my mum carved three of the wretched things! They're so tough to carve.

We used to say 'penny for a lantern'. Some people would request a performance and we might sing a song or something.

DD is having a carved squash this year. The innards will be nicer to eat than pumpkin and the end result is a scary-looking green lantern so it feels like a good mid-way point between turnip and pumpkin!

If jo malone released a burning turnip candle id totally buy it

Halloween special edition!

My moot or turnip.

Na,kids don't have the stamina these days to carve a turnip! Seeing your picture has brought back the smell though along with the aching arm and bent cutlery. Back in the day guising was hard cash so it was worth the effort. Not sure when it changed to pumpkins and sweets?! I also remember that tipsy and Tim book 🥰

Wow! Excellent work there! What does the writing say?

and where are you from that it’s called a “moot”?

I forgot to say all the kids round here do a joke or a song

@WhatapityWapiti
Hop Tu Naa is Manx Gaelic.

More information linked. Note the resemblance to Hogmanay, It’s the old new year.
https://culturevannin.im/manxfolklore/hop-tu-naa-468995/

I had a massive argument with an English woman when I posted a photo of a turnip/ tumshie lantern on Facebook. She insisted my turnip was actually a swede and got really annoyed when I told her that a swede is just what English people call tumshies and I will never use that word!

We carved a turnip a couple of times with ds(19) when he was younger. It should be compulsory education for every Scottish child to do one at least once in their lives! 🤣

Still guising here, any children that came to the door for Killieween last week were prepared to do their turn, even if it was just a short joke.

Quite a few kids varying sizes, some excellent jokes & everyone said thank you

"House smell like fart" 😂 As PP, it's definitely a core memory and I hung mine on string and carried it out guising too. In my day/area you were invited into the house to do your party piece. None of this "haribo in a bowl on the doorstep" malarky.
I can't remember the last time I carved a neep. It's been pumpkins here the last few Hallowe'ens.

I remember the bent spoons howking out the inner neep.. Killed your bloody wee hands.

There are lots of English people in the north who call them turnips too. I'm in Northumberland and I can still remember the smell of the turnip lanterns growing up.

But friends from down south won't accept it. It's a swede to them.

I don't care if I'm wrong it's a hill to die on lol

Well as the term swede comes from "Swedish turnip" I think there is no argument - it is a turnip

Ohhhh. Light bulb moment!

I always wondered how one could possibly hollow out a vegetable that looked like a pale manky carrot

(Born and bred southern Englander so maybe that excuses me?)

Didn't Marco White clear it up once . It is a swedish turnip therefore its a turnip .