The Legend of "Stingy Jack"

People have been making jack-o-lanterns at Halloween for centuries. The

practice originated from an Irish myth about a man nicknamed "Stingy Jack."
According to the story, Stingy Jack invited the Devil to have a drink with
him. True to his name, Stingy Jack didn't want to pay for his drink, so he
convinced the Devil to turn himself into a coin that Jack could use to buy
their drinks. Once the Devil did so, Jack decided to keep the money and put
it into his pocket next to a silver cross, which prevented the Devil from
changing back into his original form. Jack eventually freed the Devil, under
the condition that he would not bother Jack for one year and that, should
Jack die, he would not claim his soul. The next year, Jack again tricked the
Devil into climbing into a tree to pick a piece of fruit. While he was up in the
tree, Jack carved a sign of the cross into the tree's bark so that the Devil
could not come down until the Devil promised Jack not to bother him for ten
more years.
Soon after, Jack died. As the legend goes, God would not allow such an
unsavory figure into heaven. The Devil, upset by the trick Jack had played on
him and keeping his word not to claim his soul, would not allow Jack into hell.
He sent Jack off into the dark night with only a burning coal to light his way.
Jack put the coal into a carved-out turnip and has been roaming the Earth
with ever since. The Irish began to refer to this ghostly figure as "Jack of
the Lantern," and then, simply "Jack O'Lantern."
In Ireland and Scotland, people began to make their own versions of
Jack's lanterns by carving scary faces into turnips or potatoes and placing
them into windows or near doors to frighten away Stingy Jack and other
wandering evil spirits. In England, large beets are used. Immigrants from
these countries brought the jack-o-lantern tradition with them when they
came to the United States. They soon found that pumpkins, a fruit native to
America, make perfect jack-o-lanterns.

1. What did Jack do?

2. How many times did Jack trick at Devil?
3. Where did the tradition of decorating houses on Halloween came
from?
 The Legend of "Stingy Jack"

People have been making jack-o-lanterns at Halloween for centuries. The

practice originated from an Irish myth about a man nicknamed "Stingy Jack."
According to the story, Stingy Jack invited the Devil to have a drink with
him. True to his name, Stingy Jack didn't want to pay for his drink, so he
convinced the Devil to turn himself into a coin that Jack could use to buy
their drinks. Once the Devil did so, Jack decided to keep the money and put
it into his pocket next to a silver cross, which prevented the Devil from
changing back into his original form. Jack eventually freed the Devil, under
the condition that he would not bother Jack for one year and that, should
Jack die, he would not claim his soul. The next year, Jack again tricked the
Devil into climbing into a tree to pick a piece of fruit. While he was up in the
tree, Jack carved a sign of the cross into the tree's bark so that the Devil
could not come down until the Devil promised Jack not to bother him for ten
more years.
Soon after, Jack died. As the legend goes, God would not allow such an
unsavory figure into heaven. The Devil, upset by the trick Jack had played on
him and keeping his word not to claim his soul, would not allow Jack into hell.
He sent Jack off into the dark night with only a burning coal to light his way.
Jack put the coal into a carved-out turnip and has been roaming the Earth
with ever since. The Irish began to refer to this ghostly figure as "Jack of
the Lantern," and then, simply "Jack O'Lantern."
In Ireland and Scotland, people began to make their own versions of
Jack's lanterns by carving scary faces into turnips or potatoes and placing
them into windows or near doors to frighten away Stingy Jack and other
wandering evil spirits. In England, large beets are used. Immigrants from
these countries brought the jack-o-lantern tradition with them when they
came to the United States. They soon found that pumpkins, a fruit native to
America, make perfect jack-o-lanterns.

1. What did Jack do?

2. How many times did Jack trick at Devil?
3. Where did the tradition of decorating houses on Halloween came
from?
 Origin of Jack-o-Lantern Legend

It is unlikely that pumpkins grew in the Celtic heartlands, so our

ancestors probably made lanterns by hollowing out turnips and placing a
candle inside.  There is an enduring Irish story based on the Jack-o-Lantern
character.  In the story, Jack tricks the Devil into climbing up an apple tree
with a promise of cider.  Then mischievously, Jack carved the sign of the
cross into the apple tree's trunk, this infuriates the Devil as he dare not
climb down and touch the cross.
Years later Jack dies, but because of his life of mischief, drunkenness
and worse, there is no chance of him going to heaven.  Reluctantly, Jack heads
for Hell, but the devil remembers his prank with the cross on the apple tree,
and consequently refuses Jack entry to hell.  Thus Jack is left to roam the
netherworld, and the only time of the year when he can become visible is at
Halloween, hence Jack-o-Lantern.

Jack-o-Lantern Story of Old Jack

Original story by Bed Tyme Tales
Once upon a very long time ago, there lived a great big pumpkin. I can
remember walking down that old country road and seeing that poor old
pumpkin just sitting in the pumpkin patch. Nobody else wanted him because he
was just too big and it would have been too much work to clean and carve him.
Ah, old Jack. He sure was a handsome pumpkin.
I decided right then and there, that I just had to have that pumpkin. I
picked up that pumpkin and I carried him all the way home, all by myself. He
was a very heavy pumpkin and I just about broke my back getting him home
but, I made it safely.
I lived in an old log cabin all by myself. I was a lonely old fellow, way back
then. It was just me and my old black cat, Bumpkins.
Me and Bumpkins go way back. He was just a tiny kitten when he showed
up at my doorstep one Halloween night, many years ago. And, do you want to
know something? Bumpkins was the only one that has turned up at my
doorstep since.
Over the years, I bought bags and bags of candy. No-one came. I was sad
to see all that candy go to waste, but more than anything else, I had wanted
to see some happy faces around here. I had all but given up on Halloween this
one year. I had decided that I wasn't going to carve a pumpkin that year! I
had also decided that I wasn't going to shell out any candy. I was bound and
determined that I wasn't going to celebrate Halloween that year. That was
until I had spotted Old Jack in that pumpkin patch.
I couldn't believe no one had picked that huge pumpkin from the patch.
As soon as I had spotted Old Jack, I knew that this Halloween was going to
be the best ever.
Old Bumpkins quite approved of my choice for that year's jack-o-lantern.
As soon as Bumpkins laid eyes on Jack, he let out a loud happy meow. It was

love at first sight.

Bumpkins and I tenderly carved Old Jack out with care. He turned out
perfectly. His teethy smile radiated a special glow when I set him outside on
my front porch and lit his candle. I had no sooner lit the candle and there,
right on my front doorstep were all kinds of happy faces around me. I was so
happy myself that I had tears coming out of my eyes as I shelled out the
candy to them.
Old Jack saved my Halloween that year. I kept the seeds from that
there pumpkin and the following spring I planted them in my garden. Every
year now, all my jack-o-lanterns are a part of Old Jack and I've never had a
lonely Halloween since.
Stingy Jack
The Irish tradition of the Jack O'Lantern, originated from a tale
centuries old of a lazy and shrewd farmer named Stingy Jack, who liked
playing tricks on everyone. Stingy Jack's favorite food was turnips, which he
carried with him whenever he had the opportunity to steal them from other
farmers.
 Irish legend, hundreds of years old, give us the story of Stingy Jack, who
was nothing more than a mean old drunk. One day his trickery got the better
of him when he tricked the Devil into climbing up a nearby apple tree. As the
legend goes, once the Devil was up the tree, Stingy Jack placed crosses at
the base of the tree so that the Devil could not come down.

A Traditional Irish Jack O'Lantern

A Deal with the Devil
Jack refused to remove the crosses, trapping the Devil in the tree, until
the Devil promised Jack that he would not take his soul when he died. Many
years later Jack died and he went before Saint Peter and the pearly gates of
Heaven. Saint Peter told Jack that he was not allowed to enter Heaven
because of the mean and cruel ways he acted as a man during his life on
earth. Jack then went to Hell where he tried to enter, the Devil keeping his
promise, would not allow him to enter.
Jack turned and saw that the way back was windy and dark so asked the
Devil how he was supposed to leave when there was no light for him to see.
The Devil threw him a fiery ember from the flames of Hell which Jack placed
into a hollowed out turnip to help light his way. For all eternity Jack is left to
roam the earth in unrest, carrying his Jack O'Lantern to light his way.
 Responsible Party Hosting
Adult Halloween Party Ideas
Halloween is a holiday for kids of all ages, including adult kids at heart. For
youngsters Halloween means bags filled with candy from trick or treating.
Teenagers like to roll throw eggs, roll yards, and...
Jack O'Lantern Trivia Facts
*The Irish used hollowed out potatoes, beets, turnips, and gourds to
place a light source inside to help ward off evil spirits on all Hallow's Eve.
*Irish immigrants came to America during the 1800s and found that
pumpkins were bigger and easier to carve than the usual turnips and gourds,
creating the Jack O'Lanterns we still know today.
*Jack O'Lanterns became officially associated with Halloween around
1866. Carving out pumpkins and creating faces on them has been around since
about 1837.

*A strange phenomenon called ignis fatuus, also meaning Jack O'Lantern, is an

eerie light that can be seen flickering over peat bogs in the dark of night.
 *Pumpkins are indigenous to the western hemisphere and have been
grown in North America for five thousand years.
*The largest pumpkin pie ever baked weighed 2,020 pounds in 2005.
*Did you know that The "pumpkin capital" of the world is Morton, Illinois
and is the home of the Libby corporation's pumpkin industry.

The Legend of Jack O'Lantern

By miniapple Sep 14, 2009 Edited Oct 27, 2013 1 1

Halloween is almost upon us. Soon, people all around the country will begin
preparing to celebrate this strangest of festivals. Yards and porches will
begin to transform from quaint family homes into haunted houses and misty
graveyards. Carved pumpkins will appear on door steps and line picket fences,
their malevolent grin and flaming eyes will stare at us as we make our way
from house to house this October 31st. But where did the tradition of
carving these strange little icons of Halloween, begin?

The Jack-O-Lantern can be traced back to its ancestral roots in Ireland, in

the early 18th Century. Legend there says that a blacksmith named Jack, who
was a renowned drinker, had used up all his money at the local pub. Refusing
to serve the drunk man unless he could pay for his grog, the barman told Jack
to leave and come back only when he could pay for his booze. Incensed, Jack
is said to have yelled that he would sell his soul to the devil for just one
more drink.

Now here is where the legend might take a turn into the land of fable,
because at the very moment that Jack yelled that he was willing to make his
pact with the devil, Lucifer himself is said to have appeared in front of the
stunned pub goers, in a puff of fire and brimstone.

The devil had heard Jack's plea and agreed to take the deal: he would take
the blacksmith's soul in exchange for one more drink. As Jack finished his
drink the devil is said to have turned himself into a coin in payment and Jack,
who is not as stupid as we might have first believed, scooped him up and
threw him into his purse along with his silver crucifix.
With Satan trapped in his purse, our wily hero made a new deal with the devil:
If Satan would give Jack ten more years on earth, he would free the devil.
Not in much of a position to bargain at this point, the King of Hell agrees and
is promptly freed, only to disappear in a rage, leaving nothing but a quickly
dissipating pall of smoke.

Ten years pass quickly for Jack and sure enough, ten years to the second, the
devil comes to collect that which was promised to him. Not ready to give up
his soul just yet, Jack convinces the devil to climb a nearby apple tree with
him to enjoy a final apple before his time is up. As the devil climbs the tree,
Jack whips out his knife and quickly carves a crucifix into its bark, trapping
the devil once again. Jack, having the upper hand, makes yet another deal
with the devil, this time obtaining a promise that Satan will give him his soul
back and never bother him again in exchange for his freedom, not being in
much of a position to argue, Satan agrees.

When Jack did finally die and made his way to the pearly-gates he was
stopped from entering, the legend says. His wicked ways in life had assured
that he would never gain entry into Heaven. Unwanted in Heaven, Jack made
his way to the only other place that he thought would take him Hell. But he
was not wanted there either. Satan had a long memory and would keep his
side of the bargain that they had made all those years ago: he would not lay
claim to Jack's soul.

Renounced by both Hell and Heaven, Jack was faced with no other option but
to return to Earth, but before he left, he begged Satan to help him wend his
way through the darkness that separated the two worlds. Apparently not as
bad an individual as he has been made out to be, the Devil relented and placed
an ember of Hell in a turnip so that Jack would have a source of light to help
make his way.

With the hellfire burning brightly inside the turnip, Jack and his hellish
lantern returned to earth, doomed to wander the lands for all eternity.

The story of Jack is just one of the legends surrounding this holiday. The
history of Halloween is a fascinating one, worth investigating.
 The Tale of Stingy Jack and the Jack O' Lantern
Jack O'Lantern legend goes back hundreds of years in Irish History.
Many of the stories, center round Stingy Jack. Here's the most popular
story:
Stingy Jack was a miserable, old drunk who took pleasure in playing tricks
on just about everyone: family, friends, his mother and even the Devil
himself. One day, he tricked the Devil into climbing up an apple tree. After
the Devil climbed up the tree, Stingy Jack hurriedly placed crosses around
the trunk of the tree. Unable to touch a cross, the Devil was stuck in the
tree. Stingy Jack made the Devil promise him not to take his soul when he
died. Once the devil promised not to take his soul, Stingy Jack removed the
crosses, and the Devil climbed down out of the apple tree.
Many years later, Jack died, he went to the pearly gates of Heaven and
was told by Saint Peter that he was mean and cruel, and had led a miserable,
worthless life on earth. Stingy Jack was not allowed to enter heaven. He then
went down to Hell and the Devil. The Devil kept his promise and would not
allow him to enter Hell. Now Jack was scared . He had nowhere to go, but to
wander about forever in the dark Netherworld between heaven and hell. He
asked the Devil how he could leave, as there was no light. The Devil tossed
him an ember from the flames of Hell, to help Stingy Jack light his way. Jack
had a Turnip with him. It was one of his favorite foods, and he always carried
one with him. Jack hollowed out the Turnip, and placed the ember the Devil
had given him, inside the turnip. From that day onward, Stingy Jack roamed
the earth without a resting place, lighting his way as he went with his "Jack
O'Lantern".
On all Hallow's eve, the Irish hollowed out Turnips, rutabagas, gourds,
potatoes and beets. They placed a light in them to ward off evil spirits and
keep Stingy Jack away. These were the original Jack O'Lanterns. In the
1800's a couple of waves of Irish immigrants came to America. The Irish
immigrants quickly discovered that Pumpkins were bigger and easier to carve
out. So they used pumpkins for Jack O'Lanterns.
Halloween - Trick Or Treat
By Geof Johnson

The very best part of Halloween

Is getting more candy than you've ever seen.
I've got my scariest costume on.
I scare myself when I'm all alone.
Sun goes down, I'm all dressed up,
I set out to try my luck.
Walkin' up and down the street,
I knock on the door and say...

Trick or treat, trick or treat, Give me something good to eat.

Trick or treat, trick or treat, Give me something good to eat.

The very first house is big and dark,...

Trick or treat, trick or treat, Give me something good to eat.

Trick or treat, trick or treat, Give me something good to eat.

The very next house is big and white,...

Trick or treat, trick or treat, Give me something good to eat.

Trick or treat, trick or treat, Give me something good to eat.

If you go out Halloween night,

I'll give you a tip that'll make it all right.
Smile at everyone that you meet.
Knock on the door and say...

Trick or treat, trick or treat, Give me something good to eat.

Trick or treat, trick or treat, Give me something good to eat.