The First Jack-O'-Lantern Was Irish. And It Wasn't a Pumpkin.

The first jack-o'-lanterns were carved TURNIPS — in Ireland and Scotland, faces cut into them to scare off wandering spirits. Irish emigrants to America in the 1840s switched to pumpkins, softer and bigger. The exact age of the custom is unknown; carved turnips are recorded in Ireland through the 1800s. 🇺🇸 USA — the pumpkin, the witch hat, the giant pumpkin. 🇮🇪 Ireland — the original. Sources: History.com, "History of the Jack-O'-Lantern"; National Geographic, "The twisted transatlantic tale of American jack-o'-lanterns". What's the Halloween tradition in YOUR country? 👇