Irish folklore holds that the tradition of carving pumpkins is rooted in the story of Stingy Jack - a mean and nasty blacksmith who was denied entry into heaven.. He was so rotten that the devil didn’t want Jack in hell either — too much competition for him! So Jack’s spirit was condemned to wander the earth for eternity. But one request the devil did grant Jack was to give him something to light his way. What he got was a burning coal ember which Jack placed inside a carved out turnip. Thus, the tradition of the Jack O’ Lantern was born. To this day, people in Ireland still carve out turnips and illuminate them with stumps of candle. They’re then placed in a window or put on a gate post outside the house. Here in the United States, the custom was continued by millions of Irish emigrants who carved out pumpkins because they were a lot more plentiful than turnips.
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