Halloween 2026: Why Are Pumpkins Carved Into Scary Faces? Spooky Story Behind This Tradition

Why are pumpkins carved into scary faces on Halloween? Learn about the Irish legend of Stingy Jack, and the history of jack-o'-lanterns and why we use pumpkins instead of turnips.

Halloween cannot be complete without pumpkin decorations that have creepy eyes, twisted smiles and faces. This decorated carving is very popular during Halloween and is commonly referred to as jack-o'-lantern. However, have you ever thought about the origin of carving faces on pumpkins? The practice has quite a history, with Irish legends, ancient beliefs and Halloween traditions being its source.

The Legend of Jack-O'-Lantern from Ireland

This practice was associated with an Irish folktale in which a man known as Stingy Jack managed to fool the devil several times. Since he had tricked the devil, Stingy Jack was barred from going to heaven or hell after his death. After dying, Jack was destined to roam around in darkness having only a burning coal placed in a carved turnip for his light.

Jack-O'-Lantern was what people called this mysterious figure at first before turning it into a 'jack-o'-lantern'.

Why Were Pumpkins Selected?

Before the pumpkin became the choice vegetable, Irish and Scottish people used turnips, potatoes and other root vegetables to create lanterns. The tradition was introduced by Irish immigrants in North America due to the availability of pumpkins there.

Why are the Faces Scary?

The frightening faces were traditionally thought to scare away evil spirits. In time, however, this tradition transformed into an entertaining Halloween game, where people made various scary as well as funny faces.