It was always turnips we carved when I was a kid. Nowadays I have a pottery pumpkin that you put a candle in, saves on all the mess.
Right enough, turnips it was. Smellt bloody awful when you put a candle inside.
Apparently, it was always turnips originally, but when those good folks wandered off to America, they couldn't find any turnips there and apparently hadn't thought of taking any with them. So they used pumpkins instead which were quite plentiful.
Always said America was an awful place.