Halloweenradio.net
Listen Now
Sign In Register

The Haunted History of Jack-o'-Lanterns

4 replies · 86 views

DoomLord_J @DoomLord_J
0
Ever wonder why we carve pumpkins on Halloween? The tradition comes from an ancient Irish myth about a man named Stingy Jack who tricked the devil. Now, he wanders the earth with a carved turnip and a candle. 🎃
SpookyNadia @SpookyNadia
0
In reply to #225 @DoomLord_J Ever wonder why we carve pumpkins on Halloween? The tradition comes from an ancient Irish myth about a man named Stingy Jack who tricked the devil. Now, he w...
I always find the original turnip tradition so much more atmospheric, there's a certain raw, ancient quality to it. The thought of Stingy Jack wandering with that solitary flame is truly evocative.
BaneCurtis @BaneCurtis
0
In reply to #226 @SpookyNadia I always find the original turnip tradition so much more atmospheric, there's a certain raw, ancient quality to it. The thought of Stingy Jack wandering with...
Turnips certainly have a more ghoulish aesthetic than pumpkins. Less festive, more foreboding.
TheNightling @TheNightling
0
In reply to #225 @DoomLord_J Ever wonder why we carve pumpkins on Halloween? The tradition comes from an ancient Irish myth about a man named Stingy Jack who tricked the devil. Now, he w...
Yes, it's fascinating how over time the Jack-o-lantern became perceived as a protection ward against evil and wandering spirits. The story goes that Jack was a coward and if he saw another lantern that resembled his he thought it was another wandering ghost and would avoid it. And this evolved into the notion that the Jack-o-lantern would ward away all evil and wandering spirits.

If you believe in such things like the Egregore effect then then the collective faith that the Jack-o-latnerns would protect against harm manifest so that yes, they are functional protection wards now, powered solely by belief. Ye ol Faith Magick.
TheNightling @TheNightling
0
In reply to #227 @BaneCurtis Turnips certainly have a more ghoulish aesthetic than pumpkins. Less festive, more foreboding.
The problem is turnips are infamously hard to carve. Someone bought me a bunch of vegetables a couple of weeks ago and some turnips got mixed up among the smaller potatoes. They were (for me) useless. I'm not much of a radish eater and they remind me of radishes.

When the Irish came to the New World they found pumpkins were easier to carve, and most felt the pumpkin tasted better when used in cooking, they also claimed it worked just as well (If not better) as a protection ward. So that's why the shift happened, at least among American immigrants.

The Native Americans already felt pumpkins had medicinal and protective properties including fertility and curing certain digestive issues.

It's interesting to note that all the components of the pumpkin spice mixture are spices and herbs used to protect against evil. Even the pumpkin itself (Pumpkin spice hasn't just been pumpkin pie seasoning for several years. Most pumpkin spice foods now contain at least some pumpkin).

Join the conversation

Emojis Show search and picker

Spooky picks

Use the row under the box for formatting. Type @username to tag a member (they get a Haunted Crypt notification when the post is live). Open Emojis when you want the search and picker. Station icons appear when you are signed in.

HRM
Now Haunting
Select a station
Halloweenradio.net
Buy me a coffee ☕