I mean, I’ve come across several references citing that ancient Celts were into the habit of warding off evil spirits (including the original skull owner’s ghost) from their homes by using defeated enemies’ skulls as lamps, especially during Hallowe’en and such times deemed prone to supernatural happenstance. It would seem that the pumpkin carving would be a symbolic way of doing the same thing without actually having to behead someone you don’t quite get along with, or a way of making the ritual acceptable in modern society where murder of an enemy is unacceptable conduct under most circumstances. I’ve long suspected the custom to have evolved to its present harmless form from such not-so-innocent origins, but I haven’t been able to find any literature to support or verify my suspicion.

– Members-Only Content for WordPress