Why are Jack-O-Lanterns Associated with Halloween?
The story of the Jack-O-Lantern is an interesting one and one that stems from the spooky side of Halloween’s history.
The History of Jack-O-Laterns
Jack-O-Lanterns, though they didn’t have the name yet, go back to the roots of Halloween. Samhain, the Celtic “New Year” festival celebrating the end of the harvest season and the thinning of the veil between the living and the dead. During Samhain, the Celts would carve frightening faces into turnips and other vegetables, fill them with coals or burning wood, and use them to keep away the evil spirits that were visiting their celebrations. They welcomed the spirits of loved ones, but did everything they could to keep away evil spirits that could be coming back to get revenge on the living.
The Name Jack-O-Latern
The name “Jack-O-Lantern” came from Irish folklore, a story about a greedy man. The story was used to spook people and teach a lesson about what happens when you are tightfisted and try to trick those around you. The legend is of a man called Stingy Jack.
The Stingy Jack Story
Jack went out one night to have a drink and he came across the Devil, so he invited him to have a drink. Once it was time to pay, Jack convinced the Devil to turn himself into a coin that they could use to pay the tab. The Devil went along with it and Jack used the coin to pay for the drinks. He didn’t stop there, though. Jack decided to keep the coin for himself. He put the coin in his pocket next to a cross, trapping the Devil in the form of the coin.
Later down the road, Jack freed the Devil. He made the Devil agree that he would not bother Jack for one year and that he would not take his soul to Hell. The Devil agreed.
A year later, Jack came across the Devil again. He convinced the Devil to climb a tree for him to pick some fruit. While he was in the tree, Jack chose to resort to tricks again and carved a cross into the side of the tree. Trapped again, the Devil agreed not to bother Jack for another ten years.
When Jack died, God denied him a spot in heaven due to his malicious and tricky behavior. The Devil kept his word and wouldn’t take Jack’s soul to Hell. Jack was given a piece of coal to light his way through the dark, so he put the coal into a carved turnip and wandered the earth as “Jack of the Lantern”.
But Why Pumpkins?
The Irish would carve out turnips, potatoes, and other vegetables to light up and scare away Stingy Jack and other evil spirits. Just as with all of the other Halloween traditions, they brought this with them when they came to America during the potato famine. They found out that Pumpkins (which weren’t available in Ireland) were much easier to work with and carve. And so the tradition was Americanized in a way and now pumpkins are used to make the best Jack-O-Lanterns!