History Of The Jack O’ Lantern!

Usually in October, you see carved out pumpkins decorating the front door steps of many houses.But, have you ever wondered where the Jack O’ Lantern originated from?

According to the website, www.mentalfloss.com,

Stingy Jack, often described as a drunken blacksmith, invited the devil to join him for drinks.
“ Stingy Jack refused to pay for the drinks, and convinced the devil to turn himself into a coin that could be used to settle the tab. The devil did so, but Jack skipped out on the bill and kept the devil-coin in his pocket with a silver cross so that the devil couldn’t shift back to his original form. Jack eventually let the devil loose, but made him promise that he wouldn’t seek revenge on Jack, and wouldn’t claim his soul when he died.”

“When Stingy Jack eventually died, God would not allow him into heaven, and the devil, keeping his word, rejected Jack’s soul at the gates of hell. Instead, the devil gave him a single burning coal to light his way and sent him off into the night to “find his own hell.”

“Jack put the coal into a carved-out turnip and has supposedly been roaming the earth with it ever since. In Ireland, the ghost lights seen in the swamps were said to be Jack’s improvised lantern moving about as his restless soul wandered the countryside.” He and the lights were named "Jack of the Lantern," or "Jack O'Lantern."

So, now the next time you see an intriguing hollowed out pumpkin, you will know the whole story!