The infamous tradition of cutting a pumpkin and carving a design on it is something most people do to celebrate the spookiest holiday of the year, Halloween. The carving of a pumpkin and placing a candle in it comes from an Irish folk tale called, “Stingy Jack” which is the story of a town drunk named Jack that nobody liked because he lied and tricked people to give him money for alcohol. One night the devil came to claim his soul as he knew nobody would miss him, so Jack asked the devil to spend his last living moments drinking alcohol, and the devil agreed. After the drinking was done and the time had come, Jack accepts his fate but he feels bad for not paying for the alcohol, so he tells the devil to turn into a silver coin and when the coast is clear run away and Jack will wait for him. The devil agrees so he turns into a silver coin, and with that Jack stuffs the coin into his pocket where a crucifix lies, so the devil screeches in pain and tells Jack he will do anything to be removed from the pocket. Jack tells the devil that if he wants to be removed from the pocket he has to be never be taken to hell, and the devil agrees so they part ways. Ten years later Jack dies from his drinking habits, and he first triey to go to heaven but they reject him so he tries to go to hell but due to the promise the devil made, he wasn’t allowed in there either, but in passion the devil gave Jack a parting gift to traverse the afterlife, an ever burning ember from hell. Unable to hold it, Jack had to find something to carry it, so he found a turnip and carved it out and placed the ember in. Now he forever walks the afterlife in the dark with a small amount of light from hell. Ever since the Irish have been carving out turnips and placing candles in them to help guide Jack around. Then when the Irish went to the Americas, they found the pumpkin and started carving those out and placing them in those because pumpkins are easier to carve and find. The story of Jack is the reason they are called the Jack O’Lantern.