Why is pumpkin lantern called jack lantern?
Legend has it that a man named Jack was so stingy that he couldn't go to heaven after death, and because he made fun of the devil, he couldn't go to hell, so he had to wander around with lanterns until the day of judgment. Thus, Jack and Jack-o-lantern became the symbols of cursed wandering souls. In order to scare away these wandering souls on Halloween, people carve terrible faces with turnips, beets or potatoes to represent Jack holding lanterns. This is the origin of Jack-o'-lantern. After the Irish moved to the United States, they began to carve pumpkins, because pumpkins were more abundant than turnips in autumn in the United States. Now, if people hang pumpkin lanterns on the windows on Halloween night, it means that those who wear Halloween costumes can knock on the door and ask for candy. In a jack-o-lantern people often put candles or some sweets in it.
The Origin of Halloween Jack-o-lanterns
Halloween jack-o-lantern originated in ancient Ireland. The story is about a man named JACK, who is drunk and loves practical jokes. One day, JACK tricked the devil into climbing a tree, and then carved a cross on the stump, threatening the devil to make him afraid to come down. Then JACK made a pact with the devil to let him get down from the tree on the condition that the devil promised to cast a spell so that JACK would never commit a crime. After JACK's death, his soul can neither go to heaven nor go to hell, so his ghost had to wander between heaven and earth by a small candle.
In the ancient Irish legend, this little candle was placed in a hollowed-out radish and was called "JACK LANTERNS", while the ancient radish lamp evolved to today, and it was made of pumpkin-o-Lanterns. It is said that soon after Irish people arrived in America, they found that pumpkins were superior to radishes in terms of source and carving, so pumpkins became Halloween pets.
After packing up, groups of children dressed as monsters ran to the neighbor's door with "Jack-o-lanterns" in their hands, threatening to shout "trick or treat" and "money or food". If adults don't treat them with candy or change, those naughty children will do what they say: OK, if you don't treat them, I'll play a trick on you. Sometimes they soap other people's doorknobs and sometimes color other people's cats. These little pranks often make adults laugh and cry. Of course, most families are very happy to entertain these naive little guests. Therefore, on Halloween, children always have full stomachs and pockets.
What is the meaning of Halloween pumpkin lantern?
Pumpkin lanterns carved with pumpkins can illuminate the road ahead and represent light.
"Jack-o 'lantern" is also called "Jack-o 'lantern". It should be made of pumpkin, hollow inside and carved into various Halloween-related shapes (grimaces, wizards, monsters, animal patterns, etc.). People usually put a lamp in the middle of the hollow pumpkin, and the carved pumpkin pattern after lighting is often vivid and bright, which perfectly sets off the mysterious holiday atmosphere of Halloween.
There is an interesting legend about "Jack-o-lantern": Jack and the devil bet and go to a pub to drink together. Under Jack's sweet words, he persuaded the devil to pay the wine bill in sixpence. However, instead of letting the devil return to his original form, Jack teased him and forced him to make an oath that he would never come back to retaliate against himself within a year before setting him free.
Later, after Jack's death, neither heaven nor hell accepted him because he was "mean to others and teased the devil". Nowhere to go, he had to walk aimlessly, carrying a hollow white radish with charcoal fire from the devil for lighting, eager to finally find a place to rest. He never stops walking like this.