The Origin of the Jack-o'-Lantern
The tradition of carving pumpkins for Halloween comes from an Irish legend about Stingy Jack. Jack tricked the Devil and made him promise not to claim his soul. When Jack died, he was denied entry into both Heaven and Hell. The Devil gave Jack a burning coal, which Jack placed inside a hollowed turnip to light his way, creating the first "Jack-o'-Lantern." Irish and Scottish people began carving scary faces into turnips, potatoes, or beets to ward off evil spirits. When they immigrated to America, they found pumpkins were easier to carve, leading to the modern tradition of pumpkin Jack-o'-Lanterns.