Jack O'Lantern History



Where Did The Jack O'Lantern Come From? People have been making Jack O' Lanterns at Halloween for hundreds of years. The practice is based on an old Irish myth about a man affectionately nicknamed "Stingy Jack." According to the well-worn story that now has several variations, Stingy Jack once invited the Devil to have a drink with him. Of course, being known for his being thrifty, Stingy Jack didn't want to pay for his drink, so he carefully convinced the Devil to turn himself into a coin that he could then use to buy their drinks. Once the Devil did so, Jack opted to keep the money and dropped it into his pocket next to a silver cross, which prevented the Devil from changing back into his original form. Jack eventually freed the Devil, but did so only under the condition that he wouldn't bother Jack for one year and that when Jack died, he would not claim his soul. The following year, Jack again tricked the Devil — this time getting him to climb high into a tree to pick an apple. While he was up in the tree, Jack carved a cross into the tree's bark so that the Devil could not come down until the Devil promised Jack not to bother him for another decade. Soon thereafter, Jack died. He arrived at the pearly gates of Heaven and was promptly told by Saint Peter that was ineligible for entry. Winding up at the not-so-pearly gates of hell, the Devil greeted him and keeping his long-standing promise, refused to let Jack enter hell. He sent Jack off into the dark night with only a burning coal to light his way. Jack put the coal into a carved-out turnip and has been roamed the earth ever since. The Irish referred to this ghostly figure as "Jack of the Lantern," and then, simply "Jack O' Lantern." In Ireland and Scotland, people began to make their own versions of Jack's lanterns by carving scary faces into turnips or potatoes and placing them into windows or near doors to frighten away Stingy Jack and other wandering spirits. Immigrants brought the Jack O' Lantern tradition with them when they came to the United States and soon found that pumpkins make perfect Jack O' Lanterns.

Pumpkin Fun Facts:

Pumpkins are fruits, not vegetables. Pumpkins are a member of the gourd family, which also includes squash, cucumbers, gherkins, and melons.

Pumpkins have been grown in North America for five thousand years. They are indigenous to the western hemisphere.

Pumpkins are low in calories, fat, and sodium and high in fiber. They are good sources of Vitamin A, Vitamin B, potassium, protein, and iron.

The largest pumpkin ever grown was 1,140 pounds. It was grown by Dave Stelts of Leetonia, Ohio, in 2000.

Pumpkin seeds should be planted between the last week of May and the middle of June. They take between 90 and 120 days to grow and are picked in October when they are bright orange in color. Their seeds can be saved to grow new pumpkins the next year.

The largest pumpkin pie ever baked was 350 pounds and five feet in diameter.

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