The first jack-o-lanterns were not pumpkins.
They were turnips.
According to Irish folklore the whole legend of the jack-o-lantern began in the 1700’s when an Irish blacksmith named Jack met up with the Devil at the neighborhood pub. Jack was a bit of a drinker and was doomed to Hell anyway so he offered his soul in exchange for one last drink. The Devil turned himself into a coin so that Jack could pay the bartender. Instead of paying the bartender Jack stuck the coin into his pocket along with a silver cross so the Devil was not able to change himself back. He would not set the Devil free until he promised not to claim his soul for ten years.
Ten years later when the Devil came calling Jack once again tricked him. He managed to get the Devil to climb a pear tree then quickly carved a cross into the wood of the tree so that the Devil could not get down.
When Jack finally died God would not allow him into Heaven because of his dealings with the Devil and banished him to Hell. The Devil, embarrassed that a mere mortal could outsmart him not once but twice, would not allow him in to spread the word. In a rage the Devil threw a burning coal at Jack. Jack had nowhere to go but back to his homeland to wander through the darkness. The ever opportunistic Jack used the coal to light his path. The wind kept threatening to blow it out so Jack placed it into a carved out turnip to act as a lantern.
Since then night watchmen or any man who carried a lantern was considered a Jack-O-Lantern. Eventually a carved-out turnip became the symbol of a damned soul and evolved from there. The Irish believed that evil spirits and ghosts left their graves to visit their earthly homes on Halloween. Villagers would leave candies and fruit at the door to appease these spirits. They dressed in scary costumes and carried Jack-O-Lanterns to scare the ghosts and spirits away.
When Irish immigrants came to America it was a bit hard to locate turnips so their custom of celebrating Halloween changed slightly. The Jack-O-Lantern was changed to a pumpkin which was readily available in America during that time of year.
From The
Pond Construction Edition of What's Up, Doc?, September 2000
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