| Turnips aren't usually considered fancy fare — over the years, they've served as livestock fodder and occasionally been used to pelt unpopular figures in public. In the 19th and early 20th centuries, however, they were not just begrudgingly served for dinner, but also used as small lanterns. The durable root crop is often harvested as the weather cools, and in Ireland, that was just in time for Samhain, the Celtic celebration of summer's end. Ancient Celts believed that the separation between the living world and spirit realm was at its weakest during autumn, making it possible for ghosts and demons to cause mischief. To protect themselves and their homes, superstitious folk across the British Isles would carve frightening faces into produce — sometimes potatoes or beets, but most commonly turnips — as a way to ward off harm. With a lit candle placed inside, the illuminated faces acted as old-world lanterns that banished the unwanted and guided the way along dark paths. Turnip carving slowly faded in popularity, especially after the advent of electricity. Still, the tradition made its way to the U.S., albeit with a twist, thanks to an influx of Irish immigrants fleeing famine around the 1840s: Harvest-time celebrants found that pumpkins, abundant and native to North America, were much easier to carve than turnips. The modified tradition caught on during the later part of the 20th century and gave root to the bewitching American custom of carving jack-o'-lanterns around Halloween. | 
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