WHY DO WE CARVE OUT PUMPKINS FOR HALLOWEEN?

Halloween is a secular celebration based on ancient Druid customs, dating back to 700 B.C. The Druids, a Celtic religious order in ancient Britain, Ireland and France, believed that the souls of the dead returned to mingle with the living on 'hallowed eve,' October 31. People originally dressed in costumes to disguise themselves from these spirits.

The tradition of carving pumpkins into jack-o'-lanterns originated with Irish children who first carved out the centres of turnips and potatoes (Americans brought the alternate pumpkin we know so well today)
The tradition began as a practice to scare away evil spirits from the home. Leaving a candle burning in a window was believed to keep away the bad spirits, and warm the good ones, bringing luck to the household.