Turnip slip was no treat

I know I may sound like the Halloween version of Scrooge, but what on earth is going on with this once-innocent tradition? It’s so Americanised now. Kids don’t go guising anymore, they go “trick or treating.” And there’s very little trick, they just demand the treat.

Long before the pumpkin was the Halloween decoration of choice, the humble turnip, carved with ghoulish faces, was used to scare the bejesus out of guisers. So, doing my bit to try to halt the unrelenting march towards total commercialisation I thought I’d carve a turnip this year.

Turns out they’re quite difficult to sculpt, so I’m now nursing a cut finger along with my righteous indignation.