Want to make a truly terrifying and traditional jack-o’-lantern for Halloween this year? Carve a Turnip! Did you know that turnips (not pumpkins) were the first jack-o-lanterns?

Long before the charming pumpkin became our beloved canvas choice for carving at Halloween, the quirky turnip (also called a “Neep” or “Tumshie” or “Moot”) was carved. A Celtic tradition, dating back to the 19th and early 20th centuries, grotesque and monstrous faces were carved into turnips, potatoes, and beets (usually sugar beets).