Jack o”lanterns are such an integral part of Halloween, but no one ever really questions why. Sure, Halloween is full of weird traditions, but what”s the purpose behind gutting pumpkins, carving them and filling them with fire? It”s a strange practice, and it dates back to far longer than expected.
There are plenty of legends regarding the creation of jack o” lanterns, but according to a popular Halloween blog, halloweenlove.com, the origin story of jack o” lanterns dates back to ancient Irish legends.
Austin Maas
The legends hold that a thief named Jack once tricked the devil into promising to never take his soul. Unfortunately, when he died, Jack was refused entry into heaven because of his evil nature. He was forced to wander through the darkness between life and death. In an act of mercy the devil threw Jack a single glowing ember, which Jack then placed in a carved turnip to make a lantern. Thus the name Jack o” Lantern was born.
In an effort to keep the angry spirit of Jack happy and scare away other evil spirits, people would carve pumpkins with frightening images and light them on their doorstep.
Carving pumpkins into jack o” lanterns has become such an integral part of the Halloween season that there are entire TV shows dedicated to it. I remember watching Pumpkin Wars on HGTV and being amazed by the intricate designs the artists would carve. When it comes to carving pumpkins in the 21st century, the bar has officially been raised and geometric shapes carved to look like menacing faces will no longer cut it. But unless your pumpkin is a genuinely terrifying work of art, scary pumpkins just aren”t scary anymore and won”t work either.
So what is the average, relatively artistic person supposed to do? There”s an enormous pressure to carve a pumpkin that you can be proud to display, not only on your doorstep, but also on all your social media websites.
The easiest solution that I”ve found is simply to Google it. One quick look online displays a trend of new pumpkins that stem from pop-culture. Popular TV shows, movies and even music have become some of the best subject matter for jack o” lanterns. From Harry Potter and Star Wars designs to Nirvana and Led Zeppelin album art, it”s easy to find fun jack o” lantern ideas almost anywhere.
So if you”re struggling to find something to carve into your pumpkin this year, turn toward your favorite TV shows and books to find inspiration. Not only will you have something cool to post online, but maybe the original content will entertain the evil spirit of Jack as he wanders around on Halloween night.
Austin Maas can be reached at [email protected]