Amazing Carved Pumpkins
Every Halloween it seems that there are some new carved pumpkins ideas that some clever person has come up with. Have you ever wondered why and when people started to carve pumpkins? The term Jack O Lanterns is referring to a carved pumpkins.
It is said the Irish immigrants brought the Jack O Lantern tradition to America. People have been carving pumpkins for hundreds of years. Actually there is evidence that gourds were hollowed out and used as a light for even longer. According to folklore the Jack O Lantern referrs back to a man named Stingy Jack from Ireland.
According to legend, old stingy Jack made deals with the devil which of course displeased God. Upon his death, Jack was not allowed into Heaven and the devil refused to let him into Hell. The devil sent Jack off into the night with only a glowing piece of coal which he kept in a carved out turnip. The old Irish legend has it that Jack has roamed the earth ever since being referred to as Jack with the lantern or Jack O Lantern as we call it today.
In Scotland and Ireland people used to carve faces into turnips and potatoes. As it turned out, the pumpkin which is native to America, is a perfect plant for carving Jack O Lanterns.
So there you have it, a very brief history of the Jack O Lanterns.
Check out these amazing carved pumpkins we have found on the internet:
This first one we like because it is such a clever idea. What a fun way to serve beverages.
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