Jack-o-lantern

The history of the Jack O’Lantern revolves around an Irish legend of a man named Stingy Jack. As the legend tells, Stingy Jack was a drunk and a quit miserable man who enjoyed playing tricks. Well this was not any ordinary trick, this one in particular he played on the Devil. But this all started one Halloween when Jack became quite drunk and his soul started to leave his body. The Devil saw this as an opportunity to collect a soul. Jack became quite desperate and begged the Devil for one last drink. The Devil agreed because he saw no harm, but then the time came for to pay for it. Jack didn’t have enough money to pay for it and tricked the Devil into turning into a coin in order to pay for it. The Devil agreed and turned into a coin so Jack could pay for the drink so he could be on his way with the soul. Even though he was pretty drunk, he thought of a crafty plan to save his soul. He grabbed the coin and put it in his wallet that had a cross-shaped catch. The Devil became quite angry and so Jack made a deal with him. He told the Devil that he would be released if he left his soul alone for one year. The Devil agreed and was soon released.

A year is soon up and its Halloween night and Jack had fallen back in his old drunken ways and the Devil comes to collect his soul. Jack didn’t want to part with his soul and he became desperate. They were near an apple tree and Jack told the Devil that he wanted an apple, but he couldn’t reach. The Devil offered to climb on his shoulders to get him an apple. As the Devil was getting Jack an apple, he reached in his pocket for a pocket knife and carved a cross in the tree trunk. The Devil was soon stuck in the tree. He became furious and desperate and offered Jack ten years of peace if he left him free. But Jack insisted that he never bothered him again and that he would not get his soul when he died. The Devil promised and Jacked removed the crosses to let him down from the tree.

The next Halloween Jack passed away because he had returned to his old ways. When he arrived at the Heaven gates, he was told by Saint Peter that he led a meaningless life and that he was not allowed to enter. Then he went down to Hell to the Devil. The Devil kept the promise and also would not let him enter. Jack had nowhere to go, but to wander about forever. Jack had asked the Devil how he could leave as there was no light. So, the Devil tossed him an ember from the flames of hell to light his way. Jack often carried a Turnip with him and he hollowed it out and placed the embers in there. “From that day onward, Stingy Jack roamed the earth without a resting place, lighting his way as he went with his Jack O’Lantern.”

Back in the day the Irish would hollow out Turnips, rutabagas, gourds, potatoes, and beets. They would place a light in them to ward off evil spirits and also for to keep Jack away. Then in the 1800’a when the Irish immigrants came to America, they found the American pumpkin to be an adequate replacement because the turnips were not as available like they were back home. People use the carved pumpkins to protect themselves from Jack on All Hallows Eve in hopes that Jack would take the light if needed instead of bothering anyone. Jack O’Lanterns are  the most famous icon for Halloween today.