Carving pumpkins has been a tradition in our family for as long as I can remember. It’s a Halloween tradition that we’re excited to pass on to our son.
Carved pumpkins are a symbol of Halloween, but why? We took some time to learn about this tradition, what Jack-O-Lanterns symbolize, and why we carve them.
The Legend of “Stingy Jack”
Stingy Jack Fools The Devil Once
Why make a lantern out of a vegetable (or, in the case of a pumpkin, a fruit)? It seems to stem from the old Irish Folktale of “Stingy Jack”. According to legend, Stingy Jack was an awful old drunk who loved turnips. He was known to always have a turnip with him.
Jack enjoyed playing tricks on everyone. He took great pleasure in fooling his friends, family, and even the Devil himself. One day, while Stingy Jack was at his favorite pub, the Devil offered to buy him a drink in exchange for his soul. Stingy Jack agreed and the Devil turned himself into a coin to pay for the drinks. But, Stingy Jack had decided to trick the Devil. Instead of paying for a drink, he took the coin and kept it in a pocket with a cross. This was to keep the Devil from changing back. Stingy Jack freed the Devil after he agreed to wait to claim his soul.
The Devil Is Fooled Again
Some time later, Stingy Jack ran into the Devil by an old apple tree. The Devil told Stingy Jack he had given him enough time. The Devil had come for his soul. Stingy Jack had another trick up his sleeve. He asked the Devil to please get him an apple as a final act before taking his soul.
The Devil climbed high in the tree to retrieve an apple from the top branches. While he was in the tree, Stingy Jack trapped him by making a circle of crosses around the tree. Stingy Jack then told the Devil he would release him, but only if the Devil would not take his soul when he died. Jack set The Devil free after he agreed.
So Stingy Jack, feeling very proud of himself, did whatever he wished from that moment on. Jack did not care about being kind or helpful to others because he believed his soul to be saved.
Stingy Jack’s Fate
Many years later, Stingy Jack died. As he stood at the gates of Heaven, he was told by Saint Peter that he had not earned his place beyond the pearly gates. He had lived a cruel and mean life on earth, doing whatever he wanted without consideration for others. Stingy Jack was not allowed to enter Heaven.
So, Stingy Jack went to Hell to ask the Devil to permit him to enter. The Devil laughed at Stingy Jack and refused to let him in, for he had promised never to take his soul. Before turning him away, the Devil tossed Stingy Jack an ember from the flames of Hell to help him light his way as he roamed the land between Heaven and Hell. Stingy Jack hollowed out a turnip and placed the light inside. He then set off to wander the earth, his way lit by his small lantern, without rest, for all of eternity. And so was born the ghost of Jack of the Lantern, or Jack O’Lantern.
The Jack-O-Lantern
So, on Halloween night, the Irish carved out vegetables such as turnips, potatoes, and gourds. They placed a light inside to keep the ghost of Jack O’Lantern away. When Irish immigrants came to the United States in the 1800’s, they discovered pumpkins were bigger and easier to cut, so they began carving pumpkins for Jack O’Lanterns instead.
Pumpkin Carving As Art
Carving pumpkins continues to be a favorite Halloween tradition for many. And, for some, it has become an art. We use Pumpkin Masters patterns to make our Jack-O-Lantern displays each year. But some go even further. Check out the Maniac Pumpkin Carvers from Brooklyn, New York for some amazing and inspirational examples of how pumpkin carving can truly be a form of art.
