Christopher Murray/EyeEm (Turnip Head); Jim McMahon/Mapman® (Globe)
They started in a place called Ireland. At first, people carved turnips or potatoes. They made these jack-o’-lanterns for Halloween.
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Courtesy of the George Eastman Museum (Carving Pumpkins); Christopher Murray/EyeEm (Turnip Head); Jim McMahon/Mapman® (Globe); Itziar Aio/Getty Images (Second Right Pumpkin); Photo by Cathy Scola/Getty Images (Right Pumpkin); Shutterstock.com (Second Left & Middle Pumpkin); Michael Patrick/News Sentinel/Imagn Content Agency (Left Pumpkin); Martin Deja/Getty Images (Pumpkins); Supplied by WENN.com/Newscom (Sculpture); Shutterstock.com (Nosey’s costume)
The Story of Jack-o'-Lanterns
Trick or treat! It is time to carve pumpkins. How did jack-o’-lanterns start?
From the October/November 2026 Issue
Learning Objective: Students will discuss the sequence of events in a nonfiction text, using language that pertains to time.
Lexiles: 430L
Featured Skill: Sequencing
Standards
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Courtesy of the George Eastman Museum
Over the years, many Irish people came to the U.S. There were a lot of pumpkins in the U.S. Now people could carve pumpkins.
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Martin Deja/Getty Images
Soon more people wanted to carve pumpkins. It looked fun. People put them on porches for Halloween.
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Supplied by WENN.com/Newscom
Today millions of people make jack-o’-lanterns. There are big contests. Artists carve amazing faces. What a treat for Halloween!
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