5. The Original Jack-o’-Lanterns Were Turnips or Beets
The tradition of carving lanterns, which would later be called jack-o’-lanterns, began in Europe. Pumpkins, on the other hand, are a crop from the New World and would not have been widely available in Europe until long after the tradition of carving lanterns had begun. Before the importation of pumpkins would have occurred, Samhain and Halloween lanterns were carved from native root vegetables such as turnips and beets.
When Irish immigrants, fleeing the 19th-century potato famine, came to America they brought with the tradition of carving turnips for Halloween. However, turnips were not widely cultivated in the United States at the time, and pumpkins were more plentiful. Thus was born the American tradition of pumpkin jack-o’-lanterns. Pumpkin carving is big business now, with millions of pumpkins being sold every autumn in the United States alone.
The name Jack-o’-Lantern comes from a folk story about a mean-spirited and tight-fisted farmer who continually plays tricks on the devil. When the farmer finally died, the devil got his revenge. He forced Jack to wander purgatory forever, with only a burning lump of coal from hell to light his way. Jack, still being a bright man, carved a turnip lantern to contain the burning lump of coal and help guide his lost soul out of purgatory.