A jack-o'-lantern (sometimes also spelle Jack O'Lantern) is typically a carved pumpkin. It is associated chiefly with the holiday Halloween and originated from the phenomenon of strange light flickering over peat bogs -- called Ignis_fatuus. In a Jack o' lantern, typically the top is cut off, and the inside flesh then scooped out; an image, usually a monstrous face, is carved onto the outside surface, and the lid replaced. At night a light (commonly a candle) is placed inside to illuminate the effect. The term is not particularly common outside North America, although the practice of carving lanterns for Halloween is.