Jack O’Lantern

Where did the Jack O’Lantern start?
Every October, carved pumpkins peer out from porches and doorsteps in the United States and other parts of the world. Gourd-like orange fruits inscribed with ghoulish faces and illuminated by candles are a sure sign of the Halloween season.
The practice of decorating “jack o’lanterns”—the name comes from an Irish folktale about a man named Stingy Jack—originated in Ireland, where large turnips and potatoes served as an early canvas. Irish immigrants brought the tradition to America, home of the pumpkin, and it became an integral part of Halloween festivities.
Halloween is just 5 days away now and I’m sure most of you have a pumpkin sitting on your porch perfect for the holiday. For those of you who have carved a jack o’lantern into your pumpkin it’s just a matter of time before they will be a cause for pests to congregate to your porch. Don’t forget, after Halloween is over and all the trick or treating children have come and gone, it is time to dispose of your beautiful creation before unwanted trick or treaters come to feast on the rotting pumpkin.
Happy Halloween!!
http://www.history.com/topics/jack-olantern-history