Pumpkins perched on porches and endowed with creepy, crooked smiles can only mean one thing: Halloween is right around the corner. With the spooky season upon us, many flock to pumpkin patches to grab their very own squash that they can carve into. But why exactly is this an All Hallows’ Eve tradition? The practice of carving jack-o-lanterns can be traced all the way back to an Irish superstition surrounding the legend of a man named Stingy Jack.
The story begins with Jack inviting the Devil to go for a drink with him, according to the History Channel. Synonymous with his nickname, Jack was too cheap to pay for his drink, and convinced the Devil to turn himself into a coin that Jack could use to pay for their drinks. Once the Devil transformed, Jack decided to keep the change and placed it in his pocket next to a silver cross, which prevented the Devil from changing back into his original form (history.com).
Eventually, Jack freed the Devil, but only under two conditions: the Devil had to promise to not bother Jack for an entire year, and if Jack passed, he could not claim his soul. The following year, Jack hoodwinked the Devil once more by coaxing him into climbing into a tree to pick a piece of fruit. While up in the tree, Jack carved a cross into the tree’s bark so the Devil was barred from coming down until he promised Jack to not bother him for an additional ten years (history.com).
According to legend, Jack passed shortly after his last trick that he played on the Devil. Upon his passing, God refused his entrance into heaven due to Jack’s shenanigans. The Devil, keeping true to his word not to claim his soul, forbade Jack from entering hell. The Devil took pity on Jack, though, and, “…sent Jack off into the dark night with only a burning coal to light his way.” According to the legend, Jack put the coal into a “carved-out turnip” and has meandered around with it ever since (history.com).
In Ireland, Jack’s turnip began to be referred to as “Jack of the Lantern,” and was then simplified to “Jack O’Lantern.” In order to scare away Stingy Jack, people carved frightening faces into turnips or potatoes and placed them near their doors and windows. When a wave of Irish immigrants came to America, they found that pumpkins, a squash not found in Ireland, were more suitable for carving as opposed to turnips and potatoes.
Jack-o-lanterns began to catch on in American culture, and were featured in Halloween tales. According to National Geographic, “Washington Irving’s ‘The Legend of Sleepy Hollow,’ first published in 1820 and republished in 1858, propelled the pumpkin into American culture like never before.” The short story follows a villain by the name of Headless Horseman, who throws a pumpkin at the protagonist named Ichabod Crane, who is never seen again. The story’s illustrations portray the Headless Horseman holding a modern day jack-o-lantern, which marked the beginning of the connection between jack-o-lanterns and Halloween (nationalgeographic.com).
Many associate the practice of carving pumpkins with Halloween. Junior Pria Kussat said, “I have carved pumpkins almost every year with my family come Halloween time. While last year I was not able to, I am thinking of doing so again this year. It’s one of my favorite things to do for Halloween, because it’s so fun to design your own pumpkin and show off your finished designs next to your family’s on your porch.”
Jack-o-lanterns are a common Halloween tradition here in America, despite originating from Ireland. When the time to pick out a pumpkin and a spine-tingling design comes, keep the story of Stingy Jack in mind!