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The "Jack-O-Lantern" comes from an Irish legend. A mean old drunk named "Stingy Jack" loved to play tricks on everyone. He even tricked the Devil into climbing an apple tree, and then proceded to cover the truck with crosses, so the devil could not climb back down. He made the Devil promise that he wouldn't take his soul when he died. When Jack finally did die, he went to the pearly gates, and was, of course, denied admittance. He had no choice but to go to the gates of Hell and ask the Devil for a final resting place. The Devil got the last laugh and denied him entrance, but took pity on him having to wander eternity in the dark, and gave him an ember from Hell's fires. Jack put it in a hollowed out turnip to use as a lantern. The British took to using turnip "jack-o-lanterns" on All Hallow's Eve to ward off evil spirits, and the tradition came to North America, where a large squash, the pumpkin, made a much nicer lantern.
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