Pumpkins at Haloween

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In Irish folklore there is a character known as Jack who was a terrible trickster and miserable drunkard, who trapped Satan up an apple tree by tricking him into climbing it ands then carving the image of a cross into the trunk, preventing Satan from climbing down. Jack made a deal with Satan not to take his soul when he died.

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When Jack died he could not go to Heaven because of his evil ways, but Satan would not let him into Hell. Instead he must walk the darkness between Heaven and Hell for eternity. Satan gave him an ember from the flames of Hell to light his way, which was placed within a hollowed-out turnip to keep it glowing longer as he walked the Earth.

On All Hallows Eve the Irish hollowed out turnips and placed a light inside partly to ward off the spirits and partly to keep Jack of the Lantern away. When the Irish immigrants went to America they found pumpkins were bigger, easier to carve and more plentiful than turnips.