....an ember that would never burn out straight from the flames of hell . So Jack carved out one of his turnips (which was his favorite food) and put the ember inside it and began endlessly wandering the earth in search of a resting place. It was only later on in North America where the pumpkin was used instead of the turnip because it was readily available and easier to carve.

How about trick or treats? Trick or treating or the practice of dressing up in costumes and going door to door for treats is one of the main traditions of Halloween today where children dressed up in their favorite costume (not necessarily scary) go from house to house asking for treats usually sweets. This practice resembles the late medieval practice of "souling" - when poor folk would go door to door on All Saints' Day receiving food in return for prayers for the dead.

As far as this celebration goes in my country, the emphasis is not so much on Halloween itself. Being a predominantly Catholic country, All Saints' Day is one of the major holidays in the Philippines that people look forward to the most  (aside from Christmas and Holy Week) because it is a time when people go back to their hometowns to reunite with their loved ones and remember those who have departed. Overnight vigils at cemeteries, memorial parks, mausoleums or columbariums is the highlight of this national event. People get off from work two to three days before October 31 to clean up tombstones, adorn them with flowers and candles as a sign of respect in memory of  lost loved ones. This is followed by reunion dinners and reminiscing old times at the dinner table, honoring and remembering those who have gone.