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May 19, 2012
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Halloween Jack-O’-Lantern
The Jack-O’-Lantern, a hollowed-out pumpkin with a carved-out face and a lit candle inside, is based upon a folktale brought to America by Irish immigrants. The story is that, while the devil was bargaining for Jack’s soul, Jack tricked the devil into climbing a tree to get an apple for him. While the devil was up the tree, Jack cut the sign of the cross in the trunk of the tree to prevent the devil from coming back down. Jack then made the devil promise that he would never again come after his soul. Because of his drunkenness and sinful ways, when Jack died he was not allowed to enter Heaven. Looking for a place to go, Jack then approached Hell. Because of the promise that he had made, the devil would not let him into Hell either. As Jack turned away into the darkness, the devil threw a burning coal from the fires of Hell at him to help light his way. Jack caught the hot coal in a turnip he was eating. Ever since then, Jack-O’-Lantern has been forced to wander the earth seeking a place to rest. After the Irish immigrants came to America, the turnip soon gave way to the more colorful and plentiful pumpkin which is used today for the Jack-O’-Lantern.
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