JACK-O'-LANTERN
This story probably comes from the Irish folklore. Once upon a time there lived a drunkard and a trickster named Jack. One night he ran into the Devil in a pub. The Devil tried to tempt him into giving him his soul. But Jack managed to trick the Devil by offering his soul in exchange for one last drink. The Devil turned himself into a sixpence to pay the bartender, but Jack quickly pocketed him in his purse. Because Jack had a silver cross in his purse, the Devil could not change himself back. Jack did not let the Devil go until he promised not to claim his soul for ten years. The Devil agreed.
Ten years later Jack came across the Devil while walking on a country road. The Devil reminded Jack that he had come for his soul. Jack thought quickly and asked the Devil to get him an apple by climbing an apple tree before he gave up his soul to him. Jack then tricked him by carving a cross in the tree's trunk, trapping the Devil up the tree. Jack made the Devil promise never to ask for his soul again.
When Jack finally died, he was denied entrance to Heaven because of his evil ways, but he was also denied access to Hell because he had tricked the Devil. Instead, the Devil gave him a single ember, to light his way through the frigid darkness. The ember was placed inside a hollowed-out turnip to keep it glowing longer. Ever since, Jack has been doomed to wander in the darkness with his lantern. And that is how Jack of the lantern (jack-o'-lantern) came to be. This is just one of the versions of the story, but it is the oldest. Pretty interesting, don't you think?
The reason why pumpkins are used instead of turnips
The Irish Potato Famine (1800's) prompted a lot of people to immigrate to the Americas. These immigrants brought with them their traditions of Halloween and jack-o'-lanterns, but turnips were not as readily available as there were back home. They found the American pumpkin to be more than an adequate replacement. Today, the carved pumpkin is perhaps the most famous representation of the holiday. Not only is it used outside front doors in traditional form, but it has become the veritable treat container for trick or treaters. While the face of the jack-o'-lantern has changed over the years with the advent of pumpkin carving kits, it's still an ongoing tradition that will continue for years to come.
