The Birth of Jack

One of the many types of jack-o'-lanterns

     What's the first thing that comes to mind when you think of Halloween? The jack-o'-lantern. It's been around for ages, but has anyone ever wondered how it came about?

     The tradition of decorating "jack-o'-lanterns" was originally brought to America by the Irish immigrants. The name comes from an Irish folktale about a man named Stingy Jack.

     According to the story, Stingy Jack invited the Devil to have a drink with him. True to his name, Stingy Jack didn't want to pay, and so he convinced the Devil to turn himself into a coin that he could use to pay for the tab. After the Devil had done so, Jack decided to keep the money in his pocket next to a silver cross, which prevented the Devil from changing back into his original form. Jack freed the Devil eventually, under the condition that Devil would not bother Jack for a year nor claim his soul if he were to die. 

     The following year, Jack once again tricked the Devil into climbing up a tree. Once the Devil had reached the top, Jack carved a cross into the bark of the tree, so that the Devil could not get down until he had promised he would leave Jack alone for another ten years. 

     Jack died shortly after that and as the legend goes, God would not allow such a mischievous individual into heaven. The Devil, upset by the trick that Jack had played on him, but still keeping his word, would not allow Jack into hell. Instead, he sent Jack off into the dark night with only a burning coal to light his way. Jack put the coal into a carved-out turnip and has been roaming the Earth with it ever since. 

     In Ireland and Scotland, people began to make their own versions of Jack's lanterns by carving scary faces into turnips or potatoes and placing them in windows or near doors. This was supposed to frighten away wandering evil spirits like Stingy Jack. 

     In England, large beets are used for carving. Immigrants from all these different countries brought the jack-o'-lantern tradition with them to the United States. They soon discovered that pumpkins, a fruit native to America, make perfect jack-o'-lanterns. 


Sources: 
http://www.whitegadget.com/attachments/pc-wallpapers/75096d1315372894-halloween-halloween-photos.jpg
http://www.motherearthliving.com/natural-health/history-of-carving-pumpkins.aspx
http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-a-jack-o-lantern.htm
http://www.novareinna.com/festive/jack.html
http://www.rapidimmigration.com/1_eng_immigration_history.html