I didn't really ask this question. I had wondered about it before, I learned the answer on accident, and then someone else asked the question and I go to answer it.
Jack-o-lanterns were brought to America by Irish immigrants, but the story of how they came to be in Ireland has more guesswork involved and lots of loosely connected pieces. The term jack-o-lantern originally referred to a night watchman in a town ("jack of the lantern"). Jack-o-lantern was also a less common name for ignis fatuus out on the bogs, probably because they were thought to resemble a lost watchman. Before pumpkin lanterns were used, little boys would carve faces into turnips and illuminate them to scare people.
A more thorough explanation of the word jack-o-lantern comes from the legend of Stingy Jack. It is said that Jack attempted to trick the devil to win a bet, but was himself tricked. He was consequently cursed to roam the moors with a lantern at night for all eternity.
My guess would be that all of these facts and stories had a role in creating what we now refer to as jack-o-lanterns. When you think about it, hollowing out and carving a pumpkin to make a lantern that will only last for a few days before decaying is a little odd. But hey, we've got all sorts of strange traditions.
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