Halloween

Halloween

Jack-o'-lantern

Intro

We all know that Jack-o'-lantern is one of the most recognizable symbols of Halloween.

But where did this tradition come from?

And what's the legend behind it?

Stingy Jack

The practice of carving Jack-o'-lanterns finds its origin in Irish myth.

According to an old Irish legend, there was a man who was nicknamed Stingy Jack.

Here is part of the Irish legend of Stingy Jack:

Stingy Jack was a miserable old man who loved to play nasty tricks on everyone, including his friends and family or even the devil himself.

One evening, Stingy Jack invited the devil to have a drink with him. Of course, since Stingy Jack was stingy he refused to pay for the drink.

Instead, he convinced the devil to turn into a coin which he could then use to pay for the drink. But instead of paying for the drinks, Jack decided to keep the coin.

He allowed the devil to return to his normal form only on the condition that he would not bother Jack for one year.

When Jack passed away, God did not allow such an unsavory character into heaven and the devil refused to allow Jack into his domain.

As Jack turned away, the devil felt pity on him and tossed him a burning piece of coal so that he might see in the darkness.

Doomed to walk the Earth forever, Jack carved out a turnip to hold his burning coal, so that it might light his path.

Many Irish claimed to have seen this ghostly figure whom they began referring to as Jack of the lantern. Eventually, this was shortened to Jack-o'-lantern.

It became traditional in Ireland to carve jack-o'-lanterns out of hollowed-out turnips, potatoes, or even beets. However, when Irish immigrants settled in the USA in the mid 1800s, they found another vegetable that suited the purpose much better.

Pumpkins are native to North America and proved to be perfect for carving and creating the jack-o'-lanterns that are known and loved today.