It was on a
blustery October night many, many years ago Jack played his first practical
joke on the devil.
“BOO!” he
yelled, causing the little red man to fall backward in fright as Jack jumped
out from behind a tree.
The devil was
furious. He proceeded to give Jack a punishment to serve for the rest of
eternity. Since he had been in the same
company as the devil, he was not allowed to enter heaven; because the devil was
angry with him, Jack was not allowed to enter hell, either.
Then came the
worst part.
“You, Jack, are
condemned to wander the earth aimlessly, your lantern in hand,” the devil
cackled, “until the end of the world!”
This story, of
course, is just a myth. However, the Irish believed long ago they would receive
the same plight as Jack, so they hollowed out turnips and lit candles inside
them to keep away evil spirits. Thus, the tradition of jack-o-lanterns was
started and given a name.
During the Irish
Potato Famine, more than 700,000 Irish immigrants came to America. With them
they brought their Halloween traditions, but turnips were not as readily
available in America and they found that pumpkins were much easier to carve and
display.
Sophomore
Sereene Talkington was amazed to discover that turnips were originally
used. “I thought it originated with
pumpkins,” she said. “How do you carve
a turnip?”
Since the day
pumpkins replaced turnips, jack-o-lantern making has become an art form. In the
weeks leading up to Halloween, elaborate designs and eerie faces can be spotted
leering off of front porches up and down streets all over town. Pumpkin carving
has become a Halloween tradition for many families.
“We usually just
get one pumpkin, and we also get little pumpkins and decorate the house. When we carve it, everyone has a special
job,” said freshman Kelly Maydwell. “My
sister cuts it, while my brother and I pull out the seeds and we all choose
together what we’re going to carve in it before we start.”
If interested in
carving a unique pumpkin this Halloween, check out www.jackolanterns.com, which has many creative patterns and ideas.
Even if
there may not be a turnip with a scary face on it in sight this Halloween,
the Irish tradition has made its way into the homes and hearts of many Americans.
Maydwell put it best when she said, “I don’t think it really seems
like Halloween without the pumpkin.”