jack o'lantern

Description

The legend of the Jack O'Lantern originates from an Irish folk tale about a cunning and stingy man named "Stingy Jack." The story goes like this: Jack Tricks the Devil: Jack was so deceitful that he tricked the Devil not once, but twice. The first time, he tricked the Devil into turning into a coin to pay for a drink, and then he placed a cross next to the coin so the Devil couldn't change back. The second time, he tricked the Devil into climbing a tree and carved a cross on the trunk, trapping him there. The Devil promised not to take Jack's soul to hell in exchange for his freedom. A Wandering Soul: When Jack finally died, he was not allowed into Heaven because of his wicked ways. He then went to the gates of Hell, but the Devil, keeping his promise, refused to let him in. This left Jack's soul to wander in the darkness forever. The Turnip Lantern: The Devil, feeling a slight sense of pity, threw a piece of burning coal from the fires of Hell to Jack. Jack put the hot coal inside a carved turnip to light his way, creating a lantern. Later, when Irish immigrants moved to America, they discovered that pumpkins were much larger and easier to carve than turnips. They began using pumpkins instead, and this is how the Jack O'Lantern became the iconic symbol of Halloween we know today.