History of the Jack-O’Lantern
Pumpkin carving is a popular part of modern America’s Halloween celebration. Come October, pumpkins can be found everywhere in the country from doorsteps to dinner tables. Despite the widespread carving that goes on in this country every autumn, few Americans really know why or when the jack o’lantern tradition began. Read on to find out!
People have been making jack o’lanterns at Halloween for centuries. The practice originated from an Irish myth about a man nicknamed “Stingy Jack.” According to the story, Stingy Jack invited the Devil to have a drink with him. True to his name, Stingy Jack did not want to pay for his drink, so he convinced the Devil to turn himself into a coin that Jack could use to buy their drinks. Once the Devil did so, Jack decided to keep the money and put it into his pocket next to a silver cross, which prevented the Devil from changing back into his original form. Jack eventually freed the Devil, under the condition that he would not bother Jack for one year and that, should Jack die, he would not claim his soul. The next year, Jack again tricked the Devil into climbing into a tree to pick a piece of fruit. While he was up in the tree, Jack carved a sign of the cross into the tree’s bark so the Devil could not come down until the Devil promised Jack not to bother him for ten more years.
Soon after, Jack died. As the Irish myth goes, God would not allow such an unsavory figure into heaven. The Devil, upset by the tricks Jack had played on him and keeping his word not to claim his soul, would not allow Jack into hell. The Devil sent Jack off into the dark night with only a burning coal to light his way. Jack put the coal into a carved-out turnip and has been roaming the earth ever since. The Irish began to refer to his ghostly figure as “Jack of the Lantern,” and then simply “Jack O’Lantern”
In Ireland and Scotland, people began to make their own version of Jack’s lanterns by carving scary faces into turnips or potatoes and placing them into windows or near doors to frighten away Stingy Jack and other wandering evil spirits. In England, large beets are used. Immigrants from these countries brought the jack o’lantern tradition with them when they came to the United States. They soon found pumpkins, a fruit native to America, make the perfect jack o’lanterns.
And this is the history of our pumpkins on the steps, our carving of faces upon the pumpkins. I hope you enjoyed this Irish myth
Happy Halloween!!! Love Nana
Source: local news bulletin, October, 2007
Pumpkin carving is a popular part of modern America’s Halloween celebration. Come October, pumpkins can be found everywhere in the country from doorsteps to dinner tables. Despite the widespread carving that goes on in this country every autumn, few Americans really know why or when the jack o’lantern tradition began. Read on to find out!
People have been making jack o’lanterns at Halloween for centuries. The practice originated from an Irish myth about a man nicknamed “Stingy Jack.” According to the story, Stingy Jack invited the Devil to have a drink with him. True to his name, Stingy Jack did not want to pay for his drink, so he convinced the Devil to turn himself into a coin that Jack could use to buy their drinks. Once the Devil did so, Jack decided to keep the money and put it into his pocket next to a silver cross, which prevented the Devil from changing back into his original form. Jack eventually freed the Devil, under the condition that he would not bother Jack for one year and that, should Jack die, he would not claim his soul. The next year, Jack again tricked the Devil into climbing into a tree to pick a piece of fruit. While he was up in the tree, Jack carved a sign of the cross into the tree’s bark so the Devil could not come down until the Devil promised Jack not to bother him for ten more years.
Soon after, Jack died. As the Irish myth goes, God would not allow such an unsavory figure into heaven. The Devil, upset by the tricks Jack had played on him and keeping his word not to claim his soul, would not allow Jack into hell. The Devil sent Jack off into the dark night with only a burning coal to light his way. Jack put the coal into a carved-out turnip and has been roaming the earth ever since. The Irish began to refer to his ghostly figure as “Jack of the Lantern,” and then simply “Jack O’Lantern”
In Ireland and Scotland, people began to make their own version of Jack’s lanterns by carving scary faces into turnips or potatoes and placing them into windows or near doors to frighten away Stingy Jack and other wandering evil spirits. In England, large beets are used. Immigrants from these countries brought the jack o’lantern tradition with them when they came to the United States. They soon found pumpkins, a fruit native to America, make the perfect jack o’lanterns.
And this is the history of our pumpkins on the steps, our carving of faces upon the pumpkins. I hope you enjoyed this Irish myth
Happy Halloween!!! Love Nana
Source: local news bulletin, October, 2007
this photo from web "not an original by me"
10 comments:
Thanks for the story, Pauline!
Hi Pauline. Interesting story...now I understand why my parents do not celebrate this festival. We celebrate Christmas and Easter.
I must say there are some very creative pumpkin carvings I see from your part of the world.
quilldancer, glad you enjoyed the story. I had never heard this before and thought it very interesting to share. Isn't that photo frighening? Makes my hair stand on end=:0
twilite, fear not we celebrate Christmas and Easter! It is often entertaining to learn the story behind our customs.Especially in America where we have a very diversified population, and it is not always easily understood what certain ethnic groups have brought over with them. This story is a myth passed down, no doubt, to teach youngster's of the good and evil that lurks in our world. It is, I would hope, a story of enlightenment about our choices and their repercussions. Most lessons of old were relayed verbally, for that was the norm for teaching. Happy October!! I must admit the picture is frightening and I posted it for it came with the information I researched...
twilite, as a final observation it is most unfortunate that to-days children do not know the history of Halloween which is/was hallows eve an evening where children would dress up in attire of their patron saints, unlike today when it has become ghoulish and its true spiritual meaning has become lost in the evolution or corruption of the once sacred holiday.
oh wow...i never knew this really. I always though it was just another farming community origin.
I didnt know that! Thank you.
Your pumpkin looks better than my pumpkin.
Hi Pauline.
Thank you for the enlightening bits. Unfortunate indeed the new generation got hyped on the fad. It's like Christmas...a time for gifts and sharing - great.
There is the Guy Fawk's Day for November 1st, I think.
Happy Halloween.
I remember my Irish grandmother telling me that the veil between the worlds "thinned" on Halloween night and if you were lucky, you might get a glimpse beyond. Now, who could resist that?
I didn't know this wonderful story. Thanks for posting it for us Halloween-o-philes.
This was fun to share with all of you, honestly I did not hear this story myself until this year...
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