U.S. & World History – The origin of Jack o’ Lantern carving is uncertain but the custom appeared to have begun in the mid to late 1800’s. The application of the term to carved pumpkins in America is first attested in 1834, and the carved pumpkin lantern association with Halloween is recorded in 1866. The latest historical evidence strongly suggests that the concept actually originated from a dentist more than a 150 years ago, warning children that if they continued to eat an excessive amount of sweets after trick-or-treating, their smile will be very similar to a Jack o’ Lantern by the time they are thirty.
