According to Irish folklore, a cunning trickster tricked the Devil so his soul couldn't be taken to hell. But when he died, neither heaven nor hell accepted him. Forced to roam the earth forever, he carried a hollowed-out turnip with a burning coal—becoming "Jack of the Lantern."
Originally, people in Ireland and Scotland carved scary faces into turnips and beetroots to ward off evil spirits. When the tradition traveled to America, pumpkins replaced turnips because they were much easier to find and carve.
Written, translated, and illustrated by: Ratchanok T.
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