Get out the carving tools and the spooky candles. It's time to create your own jack-o'-lantern. But first, you need a pumpkin.

You could go to the store and buy one, but where's the fun in that? Much better to head for the farm to pick your own.

This year, Aloun Farms in Kapolei again is offering the choice of thousands of pumpkins grown in Hawai'i. They come in all shapes and sizes and even a choice of color: orange or white (for that particularly ghostly look).

The jack-o'-lantern tradition, by the way, goes back hundreds of years into Irish history. Old Jack, the story goes, was a miserable drunk who liked to play tricks on everyone, even the devil. When Jack died he was refused entry into heaven and hell, so he had to wander about forever in the darkness between them, using only an ember of fire inside a hallowed-out turnip to guide him around.

On All Hallow's Eve, the Irish hollowed out turnips, rutabagas, gourds, potatoes and beets and placed lights in them to ward off evil spirits and keep Jack away. When they first arrived in America, Irish immigrants quickly discovered that pumpkins were bigger and easier to carve out. So they used pumpkins for jack-o'-lanterns.

In addition to pumpkin picking, the farm offers hayrides, jumpers, food and other activities for keiki.

Reach Mike Leidemann at mleidemann@honoluluadvertiser.com.