Turnip or Pumpkin? People Share Their Hop tu Naa Carving Picks

It’s Hop tu Naa night and the big question is… are you team turnip or team pumpkin?

For generations, it’s been all about the moot. The humble turnip, carved into a slightly terrifying lantern and lit from inside with a candle, is the OG of Manx Halloween. This centuries-old tradition is one of the oldest continuously celebrated in the British Isles – proof that the island’s folklore burns bright.

Before pumpkins took over the autumn aisles, Manx kids were hollowing out rock-hard turnips with spoons and blunt knives. It took forever, hurt your hands, and smelled a bit weird – but that was half the fun. Then you’d head out into the dark, singing Hop tu Naa songs and hoping for a few treats along the way.

Fast forward to now, and the pumpkin invasion is real. They’re bigger, softer, and a lot easier to carve – which might explain why they’ve crept onto so many Manx doorsteps.

When we hit the streets of Douglas this week to find out what people are carving, the results were… mixed.

Keeping it traditional, Mollie Swales is going for a turnip this year, as are her friends Sean Kelly and Ruby O’Boyle.

Sean said: ‘We’re Manx through and through.’

Others are switching sides. Olivia Crawford says she’s sticking with the pumpkin: ‘It’s just the original.’

Her brother Connor isn’t so sure. ‘The original has to be a turnip, I think,’ he says.

Meanwhile, Isabelle Lyon is already in full spooky mode – dressed as a skeleton and proudly clutching her pumpkin. ‘They look nicer,’ she says.

Whichever side you’re on, there’s no denying it: the flicker of a Hop tu Naa lantern – turnip or pumpkin – is still one of the island’s cosiest, creepiest, and most iconic sights.

So… which are you carving tonight?

Watch the video above to see what veg people are going for.