It’s the Great Pumpkin Project, Salem town! Started during the COVID-19 pandemic as a contactless means of spreading the joy of the season, the Temple is proud to continue our annual, Autumnal, Samhain-season tradition: from Monday, October 21st until the 31st, we invite you to join us once again in the Temple’s Great Pumpkin Project! To help our community feel connected during Samhain we welcome you to bring a carved pumpkin to place on the front garden wall on the Temple grounds in Salem, NH:
We are open for you to drop off of your pumpkin during the daylight hours from October 21–31. Your carved pumpkin will be lit by the founders for the days before Samhain. We will light them all at dusk and put them out in the morning.
The founders will take photos of the carved pumpkins to share on the Temple’s social media throughout the week and you are welcome to do the same! Everyone local is encouraged to drive by at night to see the pumpkins lit up even if they didn’t place a pumpkin.
Those who come by to drop off a pumpkin or just visit to see the carved pumpkins are also welcome to take an envelope with a tarot card and a Witchy wisdom saying for your fortune for the coming year. You’ll find them in a box on the porch of the main house. Please help yourself!
Though this Great Pumpkin Project is focused on our local community we encourage distant members to also share their carved pumpkins on social media and with the community using the hashtag #TOWpumpkin
Rules
- We are a 501(c)3 religious nonprofit and can’t legally have political endorsements or commentary at the Temple, even in pumpkin form. So please don’t bring them.
- The Temple founders reserve the right to remove any contribution that is problematic for any reason. Spooky, witchy, and fanciful pumpkin carvings are welcome, but please keep them in good taste.
- All pumpkins will be farm-fed to cattle after the week is done. So please don’t use any chemicals on your pumpkin that would harm the cows! (No, this is not where pumpkin-spice lattes come from, but we like the way you think…)
The cows love the treat of our pumpkins!
- Place your pumpkins only in the daytime before sunset. Anyone who comes after dark could be considered a pumpkin smasher and the police may be called!
- The three best carved pumpkins selected by the founders will be displayed on our social media. Winners receive year-long bragging rights.