Why are people carving pineapples instead of pumpkins this Halloween?

We’ve been carving pumpkins for Halloween for as long as we can remember, but now there is a new trend for making pineapple lanterns instead.

Thanks to a wave of #pumpkincarving posts on Instagram, it looks like many people have been inspired to go for an alternative seasonal celebration this year.

Supermarket giant Asda sold some 135,427 pineapples during Halloween last year, and they have increased supplies by 100% in anticipation of customers forgoing the classic pumpkin to buy the tropical fruit.

James Tilson, Senior Buyer at Asda, explains: “Pumpkins have long been a staple of Halloween celebrations.

“However, we are expecting a rise this year in the number of pineapples sold for carving purposes after seeing lots of different posts on sites like Instagram and Pinterest.”

What’s more, it looks like a pineapple ‘lantern’ offers unique benefits compared to a pumpkin – including a rougher, “scarier” skin and a sweet – albeit not strictly autumn-appropriate – smell.

“Carved pineapples fill the room with a sweet smell and they also give the carver more options when it comes to design, the pineapple stem is an added feature a carver can use in their design and the rough skin gives off a scarier effect than the smooth surface of a pumpkin.”

We’ve got to say, pineapples are certainly a unique choice for Halloween – and the Instagram posts look brilliant, with the dramatic hellish glow inside and the shadowy effect of the outer skin.

But are we better off sticking to tradition? Let us know what you think in the comments below.

That’s not the only weird and wonderful trend going on this Halloween – from upside-down Halloween makeup to a bonkers Handmaid’s Tale costume, suffice to say people are going all out this year.

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