 The practice of carving pumpkins for Halloween originated from an Irish myth about a man named "Stingy Jack".The turnip has traditionally been used in Ireland and Scotland at Halloween, but immigrants to North America used the native pumpkin, which are both readily available and much larger – making them easier to carve than turnips.Not until 1837, does "jack-o'-lantern" appear as a term for a carved vegetable lantern, and the carved pumpkin lantern association with Halloween is recorded in 1866.