Just where did the tradition of pumpkin carving during the Halloween holiday come from? During the month of October, carved as well as whole pumpkins can be found everywhere in the country from doorsteps to dinner tables. Despite the widespread popularity of pumpkin carving every Halloween, few Americans really know why or when the jack o’lantern tradition began. The Urban Cowboy is no exception, and decided to find out!
The practice of carving pumpkins during Halloween originated from an Irish myth about a man nicknamed “Stingy Jack” centuries ago. As it goes, Stingy Jack had invited the Devil to have a drink with him, but didn’t want to pay for the drinks. Convincing the Devil to turn himself into a coin that he could use to buy their drinks, he than decided to keep the coin. To prevent the Devil from changing back, he placed the coin next to a silver cross. Stingy Jack would eventually free 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 History of Pumpkin Carving
Jack O Lantern was not permitted in heaven or hell
The following year, Jack would again trick the Devil. Convincing the Devil to climb a tree to pick a piece of fruit, Jack carved a sign of the cross into the tree’s bark so that the Devil could not come down until the Devil promised Jack not to bother him for ten more years.
After Jacks death, God would not allow him into heaven, and the Devil would not allow him into hell because of the tricks he had fallen for and keeping his word not to claim his soul. Instead, Jack was sent off into the night with only a burning coal to light his way. Jack put the coal into a carved turnip and has been roaming the Earth ever since.
The Irish began to refer to this ghostly figure as “Jack of the Lantern,” and then, simply “Jack O’Lantern.”
Eventually, people began making their own versions of Jack’s lanterns. In Ireland and Scotland they would carve scary faces into turnips or potatoes and placed them into windows or near doors to frighten away Stingy Jack and other wandering evil spirits. In England, they used large beets. Immigrants arriving in America from these countries brought the jack o’lantern tradition with them, and eventually began using the pumpkin for their carvings, as they made the perfect jack o’lanterns.
Do you practice pumpkin carving? Got any other traditions that revolve around the Jack O’Lantern? Let us know!
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