If you are preparing yourself for Halloween tonight one of your earliest thoughts was probably to get down to some serious pumpkin carving.

East Anglian Daily Times: Pumpkins carved by Alison Connors and her familyPumpkins carved by Alison Connors and her family (Image: (c) copyright citizenside.com)

A traditional part of the festival for centuries sees Jack O’ Lanterns carved into ghoulish shapes and faces to shine brightly outside homes and ward off evil spirits.

East Anglian Daily Times: Picture of a pumpkin carved for Halloween sent in by Neil JonesPicture of a pumpkin carved for Halloween sent in by Neil Jones (Image: Archant)

Nowadays the latter purpose has been superseded by pure entertainment, pumpkin carving often being a family friendly activity.

East Anglian Daily Times: A pumpkin carved for HalloweenA pumpkin carved for Halloween (Image: Archant)

Over the half term holiday plenty of people have been gearing up for All Hallow’s Eve by carving their own pumpkins.

East Anglian Daily Times: Pumpkin carved by Hong LeungPumpkin carved by Hong Leung (Image: Archant)

See our gallery for a selection of the pumpkin pictures you have sent into us and compare them with yours – who do you think has made the scariest, the most artistic or the most inventive?

East Anglian Daily Times: Gina and Jamie's pumpkins, sent in by Gina RobertsGina and Jamie's pumpkins, sent in by Gina Roberts (Image: Archant)

Here we have a double example from Gina and Jamie – and you can’t get much more Halloween-ey than a witch or a skeleton.

East Anglian Daily Times: Pumpkins carved by Alison Connors and her familyPumpkins carved by Alison Connors and her family (Image: (c) copyright citizenside.com)

Alison Connors and her family have been very busy creating three pumpkin carvings between them.

East Anglian Daily Times: Pumpkins carved by Alison Connors and her familyPumpkins carved by Alison Connors and her family (Image: (c) copyright citizenside.com)

As well as the traditional spooky face they have gone for some more modern variations.

East Anglian Daily Times: Pumpkins carved by Alison Connors and her familyPumpkins carved by Alison Connors and her family (Image: (c) copyright citizenside.com)

You’d associated witches with Halloween, and you might associate bats with witches, so why not take some inspiration from Batman?

East Anglian Daily Times: My sister carved this amazing image in a Pumpkin yesterday evening.My sister carved this amazing image in a Pumpkin yesterday evening. (Image: (c) copyright citizenside.com)

Ms Connors also sent in this picture of a pumpkin depicting a cat sat on a branch looking skyward.

East Anglian Daily Times: A pumpkin carved by Elliot LyeA pumpkin carved by Elliot Lye (Image: Archant)

Elliot Lye sent in this effort, another take on the traditional ghoulish visage.

East Anglian Daily Times: Picture of a pumpkin carving sent in by Jackie WynnPicture of a pumpkin carving sent in by Jackie Wynn (Image: Archant)

Then there is this effort sent in by Jackie Wynn, of a spooky-looking castle.

East Anglian Daily Times: Kevin Bennett's pumpkinKevin Bennett's pumpkin (Image: Archant)

Kevin Bennett’s wide-eyed carving has some seriously vicious teeth while Twitter user @ZakMcKrack has carved an image of Breaking Bad’s Heisenberg into his pumpkin.

East Anglian Daily Times: Twitter user @ZacMcKrack's pumpkinTwitter user @ZacMcKrack's pumpkin (Image: Archant)

There’s still time to send in your efforts as well. Email us here or tweet us @EADT24 and @IpswichStar24