Neepie Lantern Competition 2023
The winner is Gareth Dunnett with his super scary creation.
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Runner up: Ali Gardiner
Runner up: Amy Brown
Well done to the 2023 winners, and thank you to all those who sent in the many entries received, they were all excellent, especially those who attended the Neepie Lantern Howking Workshop at the end of October, it was great fun, and it's good to see that traditional neep carving is still going strong for Halloween.
The Elphinstone Institute will launch the Neepie Lantern Competition again in 2024. When Halloween approaches next year, get your knives and spoons (yes spoons!) ready, and get howking. When you’ve carved your masterpiece send a pic of your entry to elphinstone@abdn.ac.uk including your full name and postal address to reach us by 1 November 2024. (Look out for another Neepie Lantern Howking Workshop, date to be confirmed).
Rules are to have a lit lantern with a lid and string.
The idea is to encourage the tradition of neep lanterns for Halloween in the North-East. Neeps have lost popularity since the introduction of the pumpkin, which twenty years ago was not widely available in the North-East. The neepie lantern was a feature of Halloween, at parties, and guising (not trick or treating which is the fashion nowadays).
So get howking and have fun reclaiming a North-East childhood Halloween neep lantern tradition and revive it for future generations.
Prizes for the competition include a first prize of The College Boy CD of local songs and rhymes by Stanley Robertson, plus The Living Doric, edited by Cuthbert Graham. Two runners up will receive prizes of The Living Doric.
By submitting your entry, you are giving us permission to include the photo in the Elphinstone Institute Archives and to use it online for social media or other similar purposes. You will be credited for any use.
Happy Halloween and Happy Howking!
2022 winner Alistair Clark with his creepy creation.
Runner up Elodie de Groot
Runner up Corrie Cheyne
Well done to the 2022 winners, and thank you to all those who sent in the many entries received, they were all excellent, and it's good to see that traditional neep carving is still going strong for Halloween.
2021 winner William Leys
Runner up Donna MacCallum
Runner up Mollie Power
Well done to the 2021 winners, and thank you to all those who sent in the many entries received, they were all excellent.
2020 winner Freya Cartney's unusual design.
Runner up, joint winners Eilidh and Arran Will with their monster creations.
Well done to the 2020 winners, and thank you to all those who sent in the many entries received.