THE JACK O’LANTERN

The Jack O'Lantern

Last Wednesday, October 31st was my first Halloween. All I thought about Halloween were dressing on scary costumes and lots of candies and chocolates. But in fact, there was a unique story about its history. Actually, people celebrate Halloween for several reasons, which includes celebrating the lives of people who aren't with us anymore.

What is more interesting for me is pumpkin. What is the idea of using pumpkin as an icon of Halloween? Why do they carve the pumpkin into certain design?

Well, after googling, I finally found the unique story behind it. The design made for pumpkin named Jack O' Lanterns. Jack O' Lanterns is a popular Halloween tradition that originated hundreds of years ago in Ireland. The practice originated from an Irish myth about a man named "Stingy Jack." According to the story, Stingy Jack invited the Devil to have a drink with him. Stingy Jack then asked the devil to turn himself into a coin that Jack could use to buy their drinks. But, Stingy Jack kept the coin with him, so the devil could not turn into his original form. Another time, Stingy Jack again tricked the Devil into climbing the tree to pick a piece of fruit. While he was up in the tree, Jack carved a sign of the cross into the tree's bark so that the Devil could not come down. 

It said, God would not allow such an terrible soul into heaven. The Devil, upset by the trick Jack had played on him and keeping his word not to claim his soul. Then on Jack’s death, the devil 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 ever since. The Irish began to refer to this ghostly figure as "Jack of the Lantern," and then, simply "Jack O' Lantern."

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 into windows or near doors to frighten away Stingy Jack and other wandering evil spirits. Immigrants from these countries brought the Jack O' Lantern tradition with them when they came to the United States. They soon found that pumpkins, a fruit native to America, make perfect Jack O' Lanterns.

Isn't it cool? YES, it is!
HAPPY HALLOWEEN!! :)

Happy Halloween!