Irish folktales from ages ago have inspired annual traditions. Carved pumpkins are lit up in porches and doorways almost everywhere throughout the Halloween season.
What many people consider to be a delightful annual custom actually has a long history and has its origins in Ireland. An old Irish folktale claims that Stingy Jack, who played pranks on the devil and thereafter roamed the earth as a ghost, is to blame for the tradition of carving jack-o'-lanterns.
According to the legend, Stingy Jack invited the devil out for a drink but was short on cash. In order to buy their beverages, Stingy Jack persuaded the devil to change into a coin. The devil actually did that.
However, Stingy Jack retained the currency in his pocket along with a silver cross rather than paying for the drinks. The cross prevented the devil from reverting to his former form, leaving him vulnerable to Stingy Jack. In exchange for the devil left him alone for a year and not claiming Stingy Jack's soul if he passed away, the guy promised to release the devil. The Devil gave in.
According to the legend, Stingy Jack deceived the devil into climbing a tree the following year when he returned. The devil was once more held captive by Stingy Jack, who carved a cross into the tree while he was on a high branch so that he could not descend. In exchange for a 10-year pledge from the devil not to disturb Jack, Jack consented to let him go.
Shortly after, Stingy Jack allegedly passed away. According to tradition, God forbade Jack from entering paradise because of his actions on Earth, but the devil also forbade him from entering hell because he had kept his vow.
According to History.com, Stingy Jack was instead "sent forth into the dark night with only a smoldering coal to guide his way." The burning coal was inserted into the turnip's hollow, and Stingy Jack had been wandering the earth ever since.
Jack of the Lantern, later abbreviated to "Jack O'Lantern," was the name given to Stingy Jack's spectral form in Ireland. By carving faces into turnips or potatoes, people in Scotland and Ireland began creating their own copies of Stingy Jack's lanlefttern. To frighten Stingy Jack or any other "wandering evil spirits," those carvings of vegetables were placed in windows and doorways.
The legend made its way to England, where people carved frightful faces into big beets to scare away ghosts. People who migrated to the United States brought the folktale and the custom of carving jack-o'-lanterns with them. Eventually, the preferred carving tool for jack-o-lanterns was pumpkins, which are native to North America.
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