Jack-o’-Lanterns

From September through November our lives are taken over by pumpkin everything! From what we eat, drink and smell, America’s obsession with the large orange squash has gone beyond the normal love of pumpkin pie. But long before this pumpkin spice craze, pumpkins were — and still are — the face of Halloween, specifically in its jack-o’-lantern form. During the Halloween season, you’ll see them in stores and in front of homes, carved and decorated into various jack-o’-lanterns.

The story behind the jack-o’-lantern revolves around a trickster named Jack who lived in Ireland and was banned from both Heaven and Hell. Forced to walk alone in limbo, Jack carved a lantern out of a turnip, placing an ember inside to help him through the darkness. Over time, America has swapped out the turnip for the pumpkin and thus a Halloween icon was created. Whether used to ward off evil spirits or carried by a headless rider, jack-o’-lanterns can be unsettling because we’re not sure if those large grins are hiding good or dark intentions!