Hey -
I’m sure most of us wonder the same thing each Halloween. Well, the story involves the Devil, a turnip, and an Irish man named Stingy Jack.
The Jack-O’-Lantern originated in Ireland and came from an Irish folktale. The long story short, Stingy Jack managed to trick the Devil into not taking Jack’s soul when he dies. After Jack died, the Devil kept his promise. However, God disapproved of Jack’s actions and did not let him into heaven. Instead, he sent Jack off into the dark with only a piece of burning coal, condemning him to an afterlife of wandering. According to the myth, Jack put the coal into a carved-out turnip and has haunted the Earth ever since. Happily ever after.
Stingy Jack and his Jack-O’-Lantern.
The Irish referred to Stingy Jack as “Jack of the Lantern”, which eventually turned into “Jack-O’-Lantern”. People in Ireland and Scotland began to make their own versions by putting candles into turnips and potatoes with scary faces carved into them. These lanterns were placed in windows and near doors to scare away wandering spirits (like Stingy Jack). Carving Jack-O’-Lanterns was a tradition during the Celtic festival of Samhain, celebrated on November 1st in ancient Britain and Ireland. During this time, souls were believed to return and visit from the otherworld - hence the necessity for spirit-warding jack-o’-lanterns. When the Roman Catholic Church declared All Hallow’s Eve (a.k.a. Halloween) to be on October 31st, this tradition was incorporated and has remained ever since.
A traditional Irish turnip jack-o’-lantern.
Immigrants took this tradition with them when they moved to the U.S - they later discovered that pumpkins, an American crop, were perfect for making lanterns.
That’s why we carve jack-o’-lanterns during Halloween, and why pumpkins are associated with halloween.
Happy pumpkin carving!
Best,
Dear Letterbox.
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