Why lanterns at halloween

After the Devil sent Jack packing into the night, with only a lit coal to guide him, Jack decided to put the coal in a carved out turnip to form a lighting device, and his spirit has been roaming the Earth ever since. He was referred to as "Jack of the Lantern," which then got abbreviated to "jack-o'-lantern. However, it wasn't until the tradition reached the United States that pumpkins began to be the most commonly used food for jack-o'-lanterns. And it turns out, the tradition doesn't seem to be going away anytime soon.

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Live TV. This Day In History. History Vault. Recommended for you. For protection from Stingy Jack and other apparitions, people in the British Isles began carving faces into pieces of produce—particularly turnips, but in some cases potatoes, radishes and beets.

Root vegetable carvings were just one aspect of Samhain. Revelers also built bonfires and used food and drinks as bribes should they come across anything inhuman lurking in the night. Dressing up in costume was a common practice during this raucous event, presaging the costume-wearing tradition of today.