The History of the Jack O'Lantern

Halloween is approaching and soon jack o'lanterns will be appearing on front porches and in windows all across America. Have you ever wondered how the jack o'lantern came to be?

Like many of the traditions associated with Halloween, the jack o'lantern has its roots in Irish history. The first jack o'lanterns were carved out of turnips. Pumpkins weren't used until the 18^th century, when the Irish brought the custom to America. Pumpkins were more plentiful in America than turnips, and they proved easier to carve because of their size and shape.

The turnips (and later pumpkins) were hollowed out and carved to look like a human face. Candles were placed inside to create a luminary, or lantern. The jack o'lanterns were carved on October 31, the end of the Druid or Celtic calendar. On this night, it was said that the souls of all who had died during the previous year wandered the Earth looking for a new body to inhabit. The lights were said to ward off any evil spirits roaming the Earth.

According to legend, the jack o'lantern was named for a rogue Irishman called Stingy Jack. Jack supposedly met up with the Devil and made the Devil promise him that he would not go to hell when he died for all the wrongdoings he committed in life. When Jack did die, he discovered that Heaven wouldn't allow him past the Pearly Gates because he'd been such a scoundrel. Seeking a place to spend eternity, Jack went to the gates of Hell only to discover that the Devil kept its promise, and Jack was not allowed there either.

Since neither Heaven nor Hell would accept Jack, he was doomed to forever wander the Earth as a lost soul, with only a turnip lantern to guide him.