Today, most people know that a Jack O’ Lantern is a hollowed out pumpkin (or squash). However, the term Jack O’ Lantern comes from an Irish legend about Stingy Jack.
Stingy Jack was a farmer who used to drink a lot. Legend has it that Jack tricked the devil to climb a tree and then trapped him in the tree trunk by carving a cross into the tree bark.
To get his revenge, the devil cursed Jack to roam the earth at night with a candle inside a hollowed turnip – the only light Jack had on that night.
Hence, Halloween has become associated with the carving of pumpkins.
Carving lanterns
Many people carve a frightening or funny face into their pumpkin at Halloween.