Halloween: The Legend of Jack o’ Lantern
With Halloween comes the carved pumpkins, born from the Irish legend of Jack o’ Lantern. Here’s the story behind one of the symbols of the holiday.
What’s the most well-known Halloween tradition? Carving pumpkins, hollowing them out, and lighting them from the inside. This tradition traces its roots to the legend of Jack o’ Lantern, the mythical figure who gave rise to the most famous tradition of Halloween night.
Let’s start by saying that the legend of Jack originates in Ireland and was brought to the United States with Irish immigration. Originally, turnips were used to create the “monster,” but they were later replaced by pumpkins, which were easier to find in the new land. But let’s take it step by step.
WHO WAS JACK O’ LANTERN
The Halloween tradition is linked to the famous legend of Jack, an Irish blacksmith who was cunning, miserly, and a drunkard. One evening at the pub, he encountered the devil.
Due to his drunken state, his soul was almost in the devil’s hands, but Jack cleverly asked him to turn into a coin, promising his soul in exchange for one last drink.
He quickly put the devil in his wallet next to a silver cross, preventing him from turning back.
To be freed, the devil promised not to take his soul for the next ten years, and Jack let him go.
Ten years later, the devil appeared again, and this time Jack asked him to pick an apple from a tree before taking his soul.
To prevent the devil from descending the branch, the clever Jack carved a cross into the trunk.
After a lengthy argument, in exchange for his freedom, the devil spared Jack from eternal damnation.
During his life, the blacksmith committed so many sins that, when he died, he was rejected from Heaven. When he showed up at Hell, the devil, reminding him of their pact, was happy to let him wander as a tormented soul.
When Jack mentioned that it was cold and dark, the devil threw him a burning ember, which Jack placed inside a turnip he had with him.
From that moment on, he began to roam restlessly in search of a place to rest.
Since then, Jack is depicted with a pumpkin carved into a face, and according to the legend, his tormented soul reappears every year on Halloween night, wandering with his lantern.
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