The origins of the carved pumpkin on Halloween are not neat and tidy, but rather, a whole set of practices, from craved and illuminated vegetables as ancient human head totems, to Irish folk traditions to early Americana.
As The History Guy points out in this video, it is especially ironic that the Jack-o-Lantern is likely named after Stingy Jack, a character in Irish folklore known for chasing people from his doorstep, but is now used a welcome sign on porches to greet children in search of free candy.
