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You are here: Home / Language / Where Did Jack-o’-Lanterns For Halloween Come From and How Did the Tradition of Carving Pumpkins Originate?

Where Did Jack-o’-Lanterns For Halloween Come From and How Did the Tradition of Carving Pumpkins Originate?

May 22, 2020 by Karen Hill

In Irish folklore, a supreme con man named Jack, or “Jack-o,” once tricked the Devil himself.

Upon his death, his sins barred him from heaven, and because he had once fooled the Devil he couldn’t enter hell.

After a lot of begging he finally persuaded Satan to give him one burning ember.

Placed in a hollowed-out turnip it served as a lantern to light his way through the afterlife.

Later in North America, the plentiful pumpkin replaced turnips for use as “Jack-o’s lanterns.”

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Filed Under: Language

About Karen Hill

Karen Hill is a freelance writer, editor, and columnist. Born in New York, her work has appeared in the Examiner, Yahoo News, Buzzfeed, among others.

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