Get Sleepy: Sleep meditation and stories

The Sleepy History of Jack O’Lanterns

Oct 9, 2024
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ANECDOTE

The Tale of Stingy Jack

  • Stingy Jack tricked the Devil into turning into a coin and then trapped him with a cross.
  • He made a deal with the Devil, and when Jack died, neither Heaven nor Hell would take him, so he wanders with an ember.
INSIGHT

Jack-o'-lantern's Eerie Origins

  • "Jack-o'-lantern" originally referred to the will-o'-the-wisp phenomenon, mysterious lights seen at night.
  • These lights, caused by organic decay, were linked to Stingy Jack's wandering ember.
INSIGHT

Pre-Pumpkin Jack-o'-lanterns

  • Early jack-o'-lanterns weren't pumpkins, but smaller vegetables like turnips or beets.
  • People carved faces into them and placed them in windows to ward off spirits during celebrations like Samhain.
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