What do people traditionally carve into lanterns and illuminate with candles during Halloween?

Halloween traditions, as we know them today, are a blend of ancient Celtic and early Christian customs. The practice of carving faces into vegetables actually predates pumpkins! Originally, people in Ireland and Scotland carved turnips and other root vegetables, placing candles inside to ward off evil spirits during Samhain, a Celtic festival marking the end of summer and the harvest. When Irish immigrants arrived in North America, they found pumpkins to be much larger and easier to carve than turnips. Pumpkins were also more readily available. This practical advantage, combined with the pumpkin's vibrant orange color symbolizing the autumn harvest, led to its adoption as the Halloween lantern of choice. So, while other fruits and vegetables might be used for decoration, the tradition of carving lanterns specifically for Halloween is strongly associated with pumpkins due to their historical availability and suitability in North America.