However, the name "Jack O'Lantern" wasn't applied to a carved vegetable lantern until 1837. It was three decades later, in 1866, before Jack O'Lanterns became associated with Halloween. Strangely enough, both of these trends occurred in North America — not Ireland or Britain.

The world record for most Jack O'Lanterns carved and lit in one place was set on Oct. 21, 2006 on Boston Common when 30,128 Jack- O'Lanterns were simultaneously lit. The world's largest Jack- O'Lantern was carved by Scott Cully from a 1,469 pound behemoth grown by Larry Checkon. Cully completed the effort on October 31, 2005 in Northern
Cambria, Penn.