Pumpkin Legend -

Pumpkin Legend Have you carved a jack-o’-lantern for Halloween? Did you know that the jack-o’-lantern dates back to medieval Ireland? Its legend involves an Irishman named Jack who was too stingy to go to heaven and too mischievous to go to hell. Jack had to wander Earth until Judgment Day with a lantern made from a hollowed-out turnip with a live coal inside. Children started making these lanterns on Halloween; in the New World, they switched from turnips to pumpkins. Tip: Besides pumpkins, try hollowing out turnips, squashes, or gourds to make lanterns. - From the Farmers Almanac