History of the Jack-O’-Lantern

History of the Jack-O’-Lantern

Halloween is partially based on an ancient Celtic holiday known as Samhain (“s-ow-wun”) which roughly translates to “summer’s end.” The Celts considered it the most m>agical night of the year, referring to it as the Last Harvest.

On this night, jack-o’-lanterns carved from turnips or gourds were filled with burning lumps of coal and placed on porches to welcome deceased loved ones and to ward off spirits. When Irish settlers arrived in America they found the pumpkin to be easier to carve, and since the late 1800s Halloween has been celebrated with jack-o’-lanterns carved from the native American pumpkin.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!


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