A Quick History of Jack O' Lanterns
The history of Jack O’ Lanterns can be traced back to an 18th Century Irish folktale about a drunk named, Stingy Jack, who tricks the devil. One night the devil comes upon a drunken Jack wandering the countryside. Jack realizing that it is the devil makes a last request to be allowed to have more ale before departing to Hell. The devil agrees and takes him to a local pub where Jack drinks until his heart's content. When he is finished he turns to the devil and asks him to pay his tab, the devil does so by turning himself into a silver coin. When the devil does this, Jack takes the coin and puts it into his pocket which contains a crucifix. The crucifix keeps the devil from being able to turn again and Jack makes an exchange with the devil, should the devil let him live 10 more years then Jack will release him. The devil agrees and Jack lets him free. When 10 years go by Jack once again comes face to face with the devil. Jack asks the devil if before departing he could have an apple to ease his hunger, the devil once again agrees to Jack’s request and climbs a tree to retrieve an apple. Once the devil is in the tree Jack quickly encircles it with crucifixes entrapping the devil once more. This time Jack strikes a new deal, he will release the devil if the devil spares his soul and never tries to take it again. The devil seeing no other choice agrees and is then set free. As time passes the drinking catches up with Jack and he dies. Upon waiting to enter the Gates of Heaven St. Peter stops him and he is told by God that he is not welcomed in his kingdom because of his past sins. Jack then goes to the Gates of Hell where he meets the devil again, Jack begs him to let him into Hell but the devil refuses reminding him of their deal. Jack is then doomed to walk the world between worlds with only an ember, that the devil gave him, inside a hollowed turnip to light his way. He became known as Jack of the Lantern and then later Jack O’ Lantern for short. The story of Stingy Jack was used as a cautionary tale that if you misbehave like he did you may end up as he did.
In Ireland, where the story of Stingy Jack originated, they celebrated the Celtic Festival of Samhain which lands on November 1st and Samhain Eve on October 31st. It is believed that on Samhain Eve Spirits can roam our world leading many Irish and Scots to carve their own lanterns from potatoes and turnips and place them in windows or doors in order to keep Stingy Jack and other spirits at bay. England also had a similar tradition but instead they would use large beets.
When Christianity took over Ireland the holiday was changed to All Saints’ Day on November 1st, making October 31st All Hallows Eve. Although the holiday was renamed, many of the traditions from Samhain remained such as wearing costumes to disguise oneself from the spirits and the carving of Jack O’ Lanterns.
When immigrants from these countries began to arrive in America they brought with them many of their old traditions. They quickly began to carve their lanterns out of pumpkins rather than turnips and potatoes. Pumpkins, which are native to America, proved to be much easier to carve. Washington Irving’s “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” was published in 1820 and helped cement the pumpkin as part of American culture. In his story the headless horseman throws an uncarved pumpkin at Ichabod Crane forcing him to flee and never return. In cinema and other retellings the pumpkin is usually a Jack O’ Lantern. Nathaniel Hawthorne also helped in making Jack O’ Lanterns an American tradition by referencing them in his short story, “The Great Carbuncle” and then again in 1852 in “Feathertop” a story about a scarecrow who has a Jack O’ Lantern as a head.
The first image of a pumpkin Jack O’ Lantern is likely one that was published in an 1867 issue of Harper’s Weekly alongside an article titled, “A Pumpkin Effigy.” By 1892 Jack O’ Lanterns had become a staple of Halloween in America, so much so that the Atlanta mayor had a Halloween party that year and it was remarked that the décor was showcasing “all sorts of smiling lanterns made of pumpkins, cleverly carved with faces.”
Jack O’ Lanterns used to be seen as eerie and used to keep out evil spirits but they have evolved to become a welcoming symbol on Halloween nights. Many see the Jack O’ Lantern (and other Halloween décor) as a symbol that it is ok to trick or treat there. Pumpkins have become associated with Halloween to such an extent that by 2007, 87 percent of pumpkins were not eaten but rather used as décor. Carving Jack O’ Lanterns is now a tradition in many homes across the US and according to the US Department of Agriculture more than 1 billion tons of pumpkins were harvested in just 2018.
From Stingy Jack to the headless horseman, Jack O’ Lanterns have reigned over Samhain for centuries and continue to do so over Halloween. Do you carve Jack O’ Lanterns on Halloween? What do you think of Stingy Jack? Do you have any other origin stories for Jack O’ Lanterns? Please comment below.
Sources:
The Folktale Project: Stingy Jack- An Irish Folktale
https://www.history.com/news/history-of-the-jack-o-lantern-irish-origins
https://www.britannica.com/story/why-do-we-carve-pumpkins-at-halloween
https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/12865/whats-origin-jack-o-lanterns
https://www.pumpkincurioushistory.com/iv1.html
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