This hue is inspired by the orange of a jack-o’-lantern, the Halloween tradition with roots in Irish folklore. The pumpkin’s color comes from carotenoids like beta-carotene, which give the fruit its fiery brilliance. The practice of carving faces into gourds began with turnips and beets in Ireland and Scotland, tied to the legend of “Stingy Jack,” a trickster doomed to wander with only a hollowed root and a burning coal for light. Immigrants carried the custom to America, where the larger, softer pumpkins became the canvas of choice. Today, the jack-o’-lantern’s orange glow is a universal symbol of Halloween—equal parts playful and eerie, flickering with centuries of story and imagination.