Hallowe’en guises

SIR – Mike Laughton (Letters, September 19) deplores the misuse of pumpkins as Hallowe’en lanterns and blames the tradition on the Americans.

Long before pumpkins became popular, we Scots had our own home-grown lanterns fashioned from turnips. Our mother would bring home the biggest neep she could find, but it was not wasted. She sliced off the top and scooped out the inside, putting aside most of what was edible for use at the next meal.

We children then had the task of carving out a face, with holes for the ears through which we passed the string for carrying the lantern around our neighbours when we went “guising” – another Scottish custom that preceded the American version of trick or treat by many years.

Perth