The spooky grinning face of a Halloween Jack o’ lantern carved from a pumpkin, glowing by candlelight, in an old graveyard. England, United Kingdom.


The tradition of carving jack o’ lanterns springs from the custom of carving turnips into lanterns as a way of remembering the souls held in purgatory. The turnip was traditionally used in Ireland and Scotland at Halloween, but immigrants to North America found an alternative in the pumpkin which was more readily available, as well as being larger and easier to carve. The American tradition of carving pumpkins is recorded as far back as 1837, but was originally associated with harvest time in general, not becoming specifically connected with Halloween until near the end of the 19th century. In recent years the tradition of celebrating Halloween has returned across the Atlantic from North America, though in a more commercialized form. Jack o’ Lanterns, “Trick or treating” and dressing up in spooky costumes have now become very popular in England, as well as in the rest of Europe.


Size: 2848px × 4287px
Location: Dorset, England, United Kingdom, UK, Great Britain, GB.
Photo credit: © Andrew Wood / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

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