Now let’s go inside the pumpkin. When the top is carved out, it becomes the lid. After a candle is inserted, the lid is replaced to harness the light.

What’s inside the pumpkin? Well, if the sides are the face, then the gooey stuff inside could be thought of as the brains. The stringy strands are removed from the inside along with the pumpkin seeds that are meshed in with them.

The strands are not thrown away just yet. When the carving is done, the seeds are separated from the strands and roasted. The open area is now a cavity.

The skin is the colored side of the pumpkin. The skin covers the rind and the “meat” of the pumpkin. Most pumpkin skins are orange but can be other colors.

The pulp is the “meat” of the pumpkin that we eat in recipes. It can be eaten raw or used as an ingredient. Now, that we’ve dissected the pumpkin, it is time to put him back together and create a Jack o’ Lantern or holiday centerpiece.