Every autumn people make it a task to a pumpkin patch to find a pumpkin to carve. When people carve designs into pumpkins, this gives the pumpkin a new title of “Jack o’ Lantern.”But where did this tradition start?
According to History.com and Spring Arbor University, the Jack-o’-Lantern’s origin goes back to ancient Celtic traditions. More specifically, the festival of Samhain, celebrated on Oct. 31. This festival marked the end of the harvest and was believed to blur the lines between the living and the dead. To scare off evil spirits, the Celts carved turnips and other vegetables into lanterns, lighting up their homes.
When Irish immigrants brought this tradition to America in the 19th century, they discovered that pumpkins, which were native to the region, are easier to carve and larger than the other vegetables and turnips they used, leading to the Jack-o’-Lantern we know today.
The name itself, “Jack-o’-Lantern” refers back to a figure who wandered around with a carved turnip to shine its light, this figures name was “Stingy Jack” who was a mythical character associated with All Hallows Eve (Halloween). Over time, the Jack o’ Lantern became a canvas for new carvings while keeping around the old traditions that tried to keep away bad spirits.
