From what material are Halloween lanterns traditionally carved?

Halloween lanterns, more commonly known as Jack-o'-lanterns, are traditionally carved from pumpkins. The practice originated from an Irish folk tale about a man named Stingy Jack, who tricked the Devil and was condemned to wander the earth with only a burning coal inside a hollowed-out turnip to light his way. When Irish immigrants arrived in America, they found pumpkins to be much larger and easier to carve than turnips, making them the ideal material for creating these spooky lanterns. The large, round shape of a pumpkin provides ample space for carving faces or other designs, and its bright orange color adds to the festive and eerie atmosphere of Halloween. While other vegetables like apples, cucumbers, or potatoes could technically be carved, they lack the size, shape, and cultural association with Halloween that makes pumpkins the definitive choice.