The Irish actually brought the pumpkin carving tradition of the Jack O’Lantern to America. The original Jack O’Lantern was not a pumpkin though because pumpkins did not exist in Ireland. Instead, Ancient Celtic cultures in Ireland carved turnips for Halloween and put an ember inside of them to ward off evil spirits. There is a story behind the Jack O’Lantern as well, and it is called The Tale of Stingy Jack and The Jack O’Lantern!