An Irish legend tells of Jack, a thief who uses a cross to trap the Devil. Jack was getting chased by some villagers whom he had stolen from when he met the Devil. It was time for him to die.
However, the thief stalled his death by tempting the Devil with a chance to bedevil the church-going villagers chasing him. Jack told the Devil to turn into a coin with which he would pay for the stolen goods. (The Devil could take on any shape he wanted.) Later, when the coin/Devil disappeared, the Christian villagers would fight over who had stolen it. The Devil agreed to this plan. He turned himself into a silver coin and jumped into Jack's wallet... only to find himself next to a cross Jack had also picked up in the village. Jack had closed the wallet tight, and the cross stripped the Devil of his powers and so he was trapped.
Jack only let the Devil go when he agrees to never take his soul. After a while the thief died, as all living things do. Of course, his life had been too sinful for Jack to go to heaven. However, the Devil had promised not to take his soul, and so Jack was barred from Hell as well.
Jack now had nowhere to go. He asked how he would see where to go, as he had no light, and the Devil mockingly tossed him an ember that would never burn out from the flames of hell. Jack carved out one of his turnips (which was his favorite food), put the ember inside it, and began endlessly wandering the Earth for a resting place. He became known as “Jack of the Lantern” or Jack O’ Lantern.
On All Hallow's Eve, the Irish hollowed out turnips, rutabagas, gourds, potatoes and beets. They placed a light in them to ward off evil spirits and keep Jack of the Lantern away. These were the original Jack O' Lanterns. In the 1800's a couple of waves of Irish immigrants came to America. The Irish immigrants quickly discovered that Pumpkins were bigger and easier to carve out.
So they used pumpkins for Jack O' Lanterns.
However, the thief stalled his death by tempting the Devil with a chance to bedevil the church-going villagers chasing him. Jack told the Devil to turn into a coin with which he would pay for the stolen goods. (The Devil could take on any shape he wanted.) Later, when the coin/Devil disappeared, the Christian villagers would fight over who had stolen it. The Devil agreed to this plan. He turned himself into a silver coin and jumped into Jack's wallet... only to find himself next to a cross Jack had also picked up in the village. Jack had closed the wallet tight, and the cross stripped the Devil of his powers and so he was trapped.
Jack only let the Devil go when he agrees to never take his soul. After a while the thief died, as all living things do. Of course, his life had been too sinful for Jack to go to heaven. However, the Devil had promised not to take his soul, and so Jack was barred from Hell as well.
Jack now had nowhere to go. He asked how he would see where to go, as he had no light, and the Devil mockingly tossed him an ember that would never burn out from the flames of hell. Jack carved out one of his turnips (which was his favorite food), put the ember inside it, and began endlessly wandering the Earth for a resting place. He became known as “Jack of the Lantern” or Jack O’ Lantern.
On All Hallow's Eve, the Irish hollowed out turnips, rutabagas, gourds, potatoes and beets. They placed a light in them to ward off evil spirits and keep Jack of the Lantern away. These were the original Jack O' Lanterns. In the 1800's a couple of waves of Irish immigrants came to America. The Irish immigrants quickly discovered that Pumpkins were bigger and easier to carve out.
So they used pumpkins for Jack O' Lanterns.
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