The fascinating history and traditions of the Jack-o-Lantern
The origins of the carved pumpkin on Halloween are not neat and tidy, but rather, a whole set of practices, from craved and illuminated vegetables as ancient human head totems, to Irish folk traditions to early Americana.
As The History Guy points out in this video, it is especially ironic that the Jack-o-Lantern is likely named after Stingy Jack, a character in Irish folklore known for chasing people from his doorstep, but is now used a welcome sign on porches to greet children in search of free candy.
2 Comments
Abigayle Prohaska
Your topic is quite complicated for a beginner.
Dulce Kreiger
I am very grateful that you enlightened me, and, most importantly, just in time. To think, I’ve been on the Internet for six years, but this is the first I’ve heard of it.