The Haunting History of Jack-O’-Lanterns: From Stingy Jack to Halloween Tradition
When pumpkins with eerie, glowing faces begin to appear on porches and windowsills, you know Halloween is just around the corner. But have you ever wondered how the practice of carving these ghoulish grins started? It turns out, the jack-o’-lantern’s history is rooted in an old Irish folktale, the legend of “Stingy Jack,” which was carried over to America by Irish immigrants and has since evolved into the iconic Halloween tradition we know today.
The Legend of ‘Stingy Jack’
The story begins with a man known as Stingy Jack, a character who lived up to his name. As the tale goes, Jack invited the Devil to have a drink with him one night. But when it came time to pay, Jack didn’t want to foot the bill. Instead, he convinced the Devil to transform himself into a coin, promising to use it to buy their drinks. Once the Devil complied, Jack pocketed the coin alongside a silver cross, trapping the Devil in his transformed state.
Eventually, Jack let the Devil go, on the condition that he wouldn’t bother Jack for a year—and that, should Jack die, the Devil would never claim his soul. The following year, Jack tricked the Devil once again, this time convincing him to climb a tree for some fruit. While the Devil was in the branches, Jack carved a cross into the tree trunk, trapping him once more until the Devil agreed not to trouble Jack for ten more years.
Not long after these encounters, Jack passed away. But neither Heaven nor Hell would accept him. God, unwilling to admit such a deceitful character, kept Jack out of Heaven, while the Devil, holding to his promise, barred him from Hell. Instead, the Devil sent Jack off into the darkness with only a single burning coal to light his way. Jack placed the ember inside a hollowed-out turnip, and according to legend, he has been wandering the Earth with his makeshift lantern ever since. People began to refer to him as “Jack of the Lantern” or simply “Jack O’Lantern.”
Carved Turnip Head
From Turnips to Pumpkins: A Halloween Tradition Emerges
This eerie story of Stingy Jack spread throughout Ireland and Scotland, where people began to create their own “Jack’s lanterns” to ward off other wandering spirits. By carving frightening faces into turnips and placing them in windows or near doors, they hoped to scare away any evil spirits—including Stingy Jack himself. In England, people often used large beets for the same purpose.
When Irish and Scottish immigrants brought these traditions to America, they found the pumpkin—a native American vegetable—an even better canvas for their spooky carvings. Pumpkins were larger, softer, and easier to carve than turnips or beets, and soon, the practice of creating jack-o’-lanterns became a uniquely American Halloween custom. Today, pumpkin-carving is as much a part of Halloween festivities as costumes and trick-or-treating.
The Etymology of Jack-O’-Lantern
The name “jack-o’-lantern” is also thought to be connected to an old phrase, “will-o’-the-wisp,” which refers to a mysterious light that appears in forests or swamps at night. These lights were often attributed to mischievous spirits or natural phenomena that puzzled and frightened those who encountered them. Like “will-o’-the-wisp,” “jack-o’-lantern” eventually came to describe the carved vegetables that people used to fend off Stingy Jack and other spirits.
Halloween and the Jack-O’-Lantern Today
So next time you carve a pumpkin, remember that you’re taking part in a long-standing tradition with a rich and spooky past. While jack-o’-lanterns may look cheerful and festive, their origin lies in an age-old legend of deception, darkness, and one man’s quest to outwit the Devil himself. Thanks to this tale, what began as a simple Irish superstition has transformed into an enduring symbol of Halloween, lighting up the night with flickering smiles and glowing eyes each October.
Happy carving—and watch out for Stingy Jack!
