3 Jack O’Lantern Facts
by J. Lynne on October 31, 2007
in Facts of Life
- The original Jack O’Lanterns were turnips. The tradition dates back to a centuries-old Irish myth about a prankster named Stingy Jack, who played too many mischievous tricks on the Devil. As a result, he was denied entry into both Heaven and Hell and was sent into the night with only a burning coal inside a carved-out turnip. Irish and Scottish families began placing turnip lanterns on doorsteps to ward off evil spirits on Halloween.
- Pumpkins weren’t used for Jack O’Lanterns until English, Irish and Scottish immigrants made their way across the Atlantic in the 1800s, where pumpkins have been grown in North Americ for more than 5,000 years.
- If you bought your pumpkin at a store this year, it probably came from Illinois, California, Ohio, or Pennsylvania.
Tagged as:
Halloween,
Irish myth,
Jack O'Lantern,
pumpkin
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
I didn’t know that until this morning when there was a brief blurb on the elevator TV. You gotta love elevator TV - it’s chock full of interesting details.
Those turnips must have been humungous.
Or the candles were really teeny.