by Lanae

Created on: October 09, 2009   Last Updated: October 11, 2009

The History of the Jack-O-Lantern

People have been celebrating Halloween for centuries with sweets, treats, costumes and decorations. But none is more popular or more traditional than the "Jack O' Lantern". But where did we develop this tradition of carving faces onto and illuminating large orange fruits...?

The tradition actually story actually originates from an old Irish myth about a man coined as "Stingy Jack". It is said that Jack offered to buy the devil a drink, and, being true to his nickname, did not want to pay for the drink so he convinced the devil to change himself into a coin that he could use to purchase the ale.

Having morphed himself into a coin, Jack decided to keep this coin (the devil) and he placed it in his pocket next to a silver cross which inhibited the devil from returning to his natural form. Jack eventually made a deal with the devil to free him only if he would agree to leave Jack alone for a full year, and should Jack die - promise he would not claim his soul.

True to his word - the devil did not return for a full year - but when he did, he was once again tricked by Jack. This time, Jack convinced the devil to climb up a tree to fetch a piece of fruit. When the devil ascended to the top of the tree, Jack carved a cross into the tree's bark trapping him in the tree. He finally agreed to let the devil down - this time for a promise that he would not bother him for ten years, and again that he would not claim Jack's soul if he died.

...As it turns out, the joke was actually on Jack for Jack then died. God refused to let Jack into heaven due to his trickery and unpleasant nature. The devil, once again true to his word, would not claim Jack's soul into hell but handed him a single piece of burning coal to light the dark night and sent him on his way.

It is said that Jack took the coal and carved out a turnip to place it in and has spent all the rest of his nights roaming the darkness with this coal-lightened turnip "lantern". The Irish began to refer to this spirit roaming the darkness as "Jack of the Lantern" which soon became shortened to "Jack-O-Lantern".

It soon became a tradition in both Ireland and Scotland to carve their own turnips and potatoes, which they would place in the windows to ward off Stingy Jack and other evil spirits. When immigrants then came to America with the tradition, the pumpkins found on American soil proved to be the perfect medium with which to continue this tradition.

While the point of Jack-O-Lanterns has changed over the years from objects to 'ward off spirits' to ones that are used to frighten and entertain, the tradition still remains true to its ghostly beginnings in Jack's own mischievous and ghostly way...happy carving!

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