The greatest symbol of Halloween is, beyond a doubt, the jack-o’-lantern: a pumpkin with its innards scooped out, a grotesque, smiling face carved into it, and a candle inside. Its flickering light casts ghostly shadows and brings the carved face to life, enhancing the holiday’s distinctive air of mystery and festivity.
The type of pumpkin most commonly used for Halloween is Cucurbita pepo, typically the Connecticut field or Jack O'Lantern varieties, whose colour, rounded shape and tough rind make them ideal for carving. But pumpkins were not always used for this tradition. In the beginning, other vegetables were carved. Specifically, turnips.
