Specialties
THE HISTORY OF THE JACK-O-LANTERN 🎃🌎
Sunlight warms the golden skin of perfectly ripe peaches as harvest begins, the scent of orchard flowers still fresh in the air; these tender fruits carry a promise of summer that lingers long after the last bite.
This time of year is truly the best - crock pot meals, crispy morning air, warm flavored coffee, and the cozy decor that comes with each holiday. Every year, though, I find myself wondering why in the world we put a cut up pumpkin out on the porch to rot in the sun for a few days before Halloween. In my opinion, carving pumpkins isn't that enjoyable - slimy guts, seeds everywhere, and a design idea that never seems to turn out just like you pictured it - but, this fall ritual has a lot of history! Rooted in tales of folklore and mystery, the jack‑o’‑lantern has become one of autumn’s most iconic symbols, and the tradition of pumpkin carving has stood the test of time.
The phrase jack‑o’‑lantern didn’t begin as a Halloween decoration. In 17th-century England, “jack‑o’‑lantern” was used to describe a person holding a lantern (especially a night watchman) or even to refer to the eerie marsh lights that danced over bogs and fooled travelers. Over time, the name came to be applied to carved, "lighted" produce—though exactly how that transfer happened is a bit murky.
The Irish get the phrase "jack-o-lantern" from the Legend of Stingy Jack - a man who tricked the Devil multiple times, including forcing him into a coin and trapping him into a tree. He released the Devil on one condition: he would have to leave Jack’s soul alone. The Devil agreed, but when Jack died, neither Heaven nor Hell would accept him. He was left to wander the Earth with a burning ember to light his way, which he used a hollowed-out turnip to store: thus giving the world “jack o lanterns.” While likely folkloric, it provided a fun story behind what might otherwise be a purely decorative custom.
Originally, in Ireland and Scotland, people carved turnips, beets, potatoes or other root vegetables into lanterns. These were used during festivals like Samhain (the Celtic end‑of-harvest) to ward off spirits or mark thresholds between the living and the supernatural.
Over time, as Christianity spread, church authorities sought ways to “Christianize” or integrate local customs. One step was aligning existing festivals (like Samhain) with Christian holy days, which is how this holiday got the name "Halloween," coming from the celebrations occurring on the eve of All Hallows Day. Despite this alignment, people continued using jack-o-lanterns as a way to ward off evil spirits on Halloween Night.
In America, the term "jack-o-lantern" was first written in a newspaper in 1837. Around this time, Halloween looked very different than the Halloween we know today. There was no mass trick-or-treating, no commercial Halloween goods, and no uniform national observance. The day's activities consisted of a lot of produce, funny enough - pulling up cabbages was thought to plot one's future spouse, and apple bobbing was a fun omen game. Even the pranksters got in on it by throwing old prouce at houses as a prank.
By the 1900s, Halloween was considered a day of pranksters. Costumes were only used to protect anonymity, harvest games like apple bobbing, hayrides, and bonfires were laced with mischief, and candy began to be a bribing mechanism homeowners used to get cooperation from the youth (a "trick, or you get a treat" type of thing). Carving pumpkins was still a common practice, and it became more widely accepted to celebrate Halloween.
After rationing during the Great Depression and World War II affected Halloween celebrations, the 1950s welcomed Halloween as another reason to celebrate something with their community. It became more mainstream to celebrate Halloween, as it had shed its association wiith large-scale vandalism and became more of a children's holiday. The growing suburban neighborhoods from the baby boom made trick or treating practical and safer, moving the entertainment from fresh produce and harvest festivals to individually wrapped candies and baked goods. Decoration, however, typically stayed the same as always -- a carved Jack-o-lantern or two sitting on the front porch, ushering in the fall vibes no matter the temperature.
As we light our pumpkins this Halloween, let us remember the curious journey of the jack-o’-lantern — from carved turnips in the mists of old Irish folk tales to the glowing pumpkins that grace our porches today. What once served both as a lantern for Stingy Jack or a ward against wandering spirits now brings warmth, laughter, and creativity into modern celebrations. After all, you can't carve a candy bar! 🎃
This time of year is truly the best - crock pot meals, crispy morning air, warm flavored coffee, and the cozy decor that comes with each holiday. Every year, though, I find myself wondering why in the world we put a cut up pumpkin out on the porch to rot in the sun for a few days before Halloween. In my opinion, carving pumpkins isn't that enjoyable - slimy guts, seeds everywhere, and a design idea that never seems to turn out just like you pictured it - but, this fall ritual has a lot of history! Rooted in tales of folklore and mystery, the jack‑o’‑lantern has become one of autumn’s most iconic symbols, and the tradition of pumpkin carving has stood the test of time.
The phrase jack‑o’‑lantern didn’t begin as a Halloween decoration. In 17th-century England, “jack‑o’‑lantern” was used to describe a person holding a lantern (especially a night watchman) or even to refer to the eerie marsh lights that danced over bogs and fooled travelers. Over time, the name came to be applied to carved, "lighted" produce—though exactly how that transfer happened is a bit murky.
The Irish get the phrase "jack-o-lantern" from the Legend of Stingy Jack - a man who tricked the Devil multiple times, including forcing him into a coin and trapping him into a tree. He released the Devil on one condition: he would have to leave Jack’s soul alone. The Devil agreed, but when Jack died, neither Heaven nor Hell would accept him. He was left to wander the Earth with a burning ember to light his way, which he used a hollowed-out turnip to store: thus giving the world “jack o lanterns.” While likely folkloric, it provided a fun story behind what might otherwise be a purely decorative custom.
Originally, in Ireland and Scotland, people carved turnips, beets, potatoes or other root vegetables into lanterns. These were used during festivals like Samhain (the Celtic end‑of-harvest) to ward off spirits or mark thresholds between the living and the supernatural.
Over time, as Christianity spread, church authorities sought ways to “Christianize” or integrate local customs. One step was aligning existing festivals (like Samhain) with Christian holy days, which is how this holiday got the name "Halloween," coming from the celebrations occurring on the eve of All Hallows Day. Despite this alignment, people continued using jack-o-lanterns as a way to ward off evil spirits on Halloween Night.
In America, the term "jack-o-lantern" was first written in a newspaper in 1837. Around this time, Halloween looked very different than the Halloween we know today. There was no mass trick-or-treating, no commercial Halloween goods, and no uniform national observance. The day's activities consisted of a lot of produce, funny enough - pulling up cabbages was thought to plot one's future spouse, and apple bobbing was a fun omen game. Even the pranksters got in on it by throwing old prouce at houses as a prank.
By the 1900s, Halloween was considered a day of pranksters. Costumes were only used to protect anonymity, harvest games like apple bobbing, hayrides, and bonfires were laced with mischief, and candy began to be a bribing mechanism homeowners used to get cooperation from the youth (a "trick, or you get a treat" type of thing). Carving pumpkins was still a common practice, and it became more widely accepted to celebrate Halloween.
After rationing during the Great Depression and World War II affected Halloween celebrations, the 1950s welcomed Halloween as another reason to celebrate something with their community. It became more mainstream to celebrate Halloween, as it had shed its association wiith large-scale vandalism and became more of a children's holiday. The growing suburban neighborhoods from the baby boom made trick or treating practical and safer, moving the entertainment from fresh produce and harvest festivals to individually wrapped candies and baked goods. Decoration, however, typically stayed the same as always -- a carved Jack-o-lantern or two sitting on the front porch, ushering in the fall vibes no matter the temperature.
As we light our pumpkins this Halloween, let us remember the curious journey of the jack-o’-lantern — from carved turnips in the mists of old Irish folk tales to the glowing pumpkins that grace our porches today. What once served both as a lantern for Stingy Jack or a ward against wandering spirits now brings warmth, laughter, and creativity into modern celebrations. After all, you can't carve a candy bar! 🎃
