IN a world of seemingly infinite choice – Brown or Cameron, fluoride or not fluoride, rat or longtail, Halloween or Hop tu naa – it's reassuring to see the seasonal debate to top all others raging strong.
The burning autumnal question taking precedence over all others is of course the ubiquitous but vexed choice of turnip or pumpkin lantern.
Establishing itself firmly in the turnip camp – and providing backdrop to this year's debate – Manx National Heritage will be giving out free turnips and candles to visitors at Cregneash on Sunday, October 26.
Children will be able to make and decorate their own turnip lanterns to take home, ready for Hop tu naa. There will also be a variety of children's seasonal activities.
Social history curator Yvonne Cresswell said: 'The Hop tu naa event at Cregneash is for the whole family and a great opportunity for everyone to find out more about the customs and traditions of Manx Hop tu naa.
'As well as making and decorating their own turnip lanterns, visitors will also be able to learn the Manx Hop tu Naa song and dance.'
Mrs Cresswell said Hop tu naa was traditionally considered to be the beginning of the Celtic new year and the start of winter.
Traditionally the boys would go from house to house singing the Hop tu naa song and hope to be rewarded with apples, bonnag, herring and if lucky given some sweets and the odd penny as well.
The girls would stay at home in the belief that by abusing their digestive system they could discover whom they were going to marry.
The theory was that by eating a salted herring or a soddag valloo (dumb cake) of flour, salt, eggs (shells and all) and soot, they would dream of their future husband.
Although that particular tradition has seen a decline in popularity, mirrored possibly by a drop in acute gastric admissions to Noble's Hospital, many children still go out on October 31 with a carved turnip lantern singing the Hop tu naa song around the streets.
The turnip lantern is an important part not just of Manx Hop tu naa, but also of Halloween celebrations around the World.
In particular, turnip lanterns were very popular in Ireland and theory has it that 19th century Irish migrants continued the tradition in America using the pumpkin.
Also embracing the turnip, metaphorically at least, was museum and site co-ordinator for the south of the Island, Andrew Metcalfe.
'It has to be the turnip because that's Manx,' he said. 'The pumpkin is from a long way across: it's an American tradition, though it is a lot harder to dig out a turnip than a pumpkin.'
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Traditions vary even within the Isle of Man with the Peel lantern fashioned very differently from elsewhere.
'In Peel the traditional way to do it is to use the stalk as a handle and leave it attached then cut off the bottom and carve it out from the base,' he said.
The lantern is then carried 'upside down' using the stalk. By contrast, elsewhere the stalk is removed and the vegetable hollowed out from the top downwards before being decorated with ghoulish faces and a candle placed inside.
'Whereas everyone else sets it down on a windowsill, in Peel they can walk around carrying them,' he said.
Untiring in their endeavour to identify a husband, girls would throw apple peel on the ground to see if it formed the initial letter of a man's name. They would also stare into a candle-lit mirror to see if their prospective partner's face appeared.
Children are invited to turn up for turnips at the National Folk Museum at Cregneash from Monday to Friday next week, where they will receive a free turnip to take home in preparation for Hop tu Naa.
All the Cregneash activities will take place under cover so visitors need not worry about the weather.
At Scoill Ree Gorree in Ramsey, year six pupils are taking part in a turnip lantern making competition on Friday.
A supernatural celebration of Hop tu naa takes place on October 31 at the Henry Bloom Noble Library, Douglas, with a children's party between 3pm and 4pm.
Among the ghoulish delights on offer will be story time, a craft session and prizes for guessing the number of sweets in the jar and for the best home made mask.
Fancy dress is optional, refreshments will be provided and entry is by free ticket available from the library's ground floor counter.
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>>Increase-in-demand-for-turnips>>Your Shout: Turnip V Pumpkin