The use of the jack-o-lanterns came to America from Ireland. There is a old Irish folk tale of a man by the name of Jack who trick the the devil several times. He tricked the devil into swearing that he would never take his soul or try to claim it in any way. When Jack died, he was turned away from heaven for being mean. He was also turned away from hell because of the promise the devil made never to take his soul. As he was turned away the devil threw a live coal at him. Jack was eating a turnip at the time and he put the coal inside to light his way back to earth. Ever since then he has been traveling all over the earth with his jack-o-lantern, searching for a place to rest.

When Irish immigrants came to America they brought this Halloween tradition with them, and because at this time of year there are no turnips only pumpkins, this is how the pumpkin came to be the traditional jack-o-lantern.

 

The Jack-O-Lantern has many myths about its origins. He is one of four Jacks of the seasons. One tale is that a spirit named Jack was so terrible, that when he died, neither heaven nor hell wanted him, so he was forced to walk the Earth, as a discorporate being, with only a carved out turnip lit from within with a candle to tight his way.

Another myth of the Jack-O-Lantern comes from the belief that at one time, people were so afraid of evil spirits at this time of year, they carved out a hideous face onto a gourd and placed a candle in it to ward off demons.

 

The Tradition of Halloween dates back to the 5th century BC in Britain and Ireland.


The holiday, then known as Samhain, marked the beginning of a new year on the Celtic calendar.

Samhain means 'summers end' in the ancient Celtic languages. Some anti-Hallowe'en practitioners are fond of stating the existence of an evil god named Sam-hain who called upon his demons to attack the humans and take small children. This is not so.

Samhain means 'summers end' in the ancient Celtic languages. Some anti-Hallowe'en practitioners are fond of stating the existence of an evil god named Sam-hain who called upon his demons to attack the humans and take small children. This is not so

Common colors of Samhain are Orange, Black and Brown.

 
The practice of trick-or-treating did not actually occur until the early 1900's, when poor families, many of them Irish immigrants, brought the practices of Samhain with them. The children at this time of year, and other times, would go door-to-door asking for hand-outs and when they did not receive any, some of them would play 'tricks' and knock over a plant, or leave garbage on the doorsteps.

 

 

The term "Halloween" comes from the word "All Hollows Day," which is a day of observance in honor of the Catholic Saints on November

There are two stories associated with trick-or-treating.
In one story, the spirits would emerge from their graves and wander back to their former homes. In order for the villagers to protect themselves, they would offer treats to please the spirits of the undead. Supposedly, if the spirit was satisfied with the treat, it would return back to the grave, leaving the current occupants undisturbed.

 

In the second story, the spirit would emerge from the grave and try to possess a human body. If by chance an unfortunate victim was possessed, it was believed to be permanent. In order to defend themselves from the spirits, villagers would extinguish candles within their homes making them cold and uninviting. Secondly, villagers would dress up in costumes, or cover themselves with dirt, and parade around the village screaming and destroying property to frighten away evil spirits.

 

 

 

Remember the meaning of Halloween
Halloween is one of the oldest holidays, dating back thousands of years. All Hollows Eve (October 31st), is the night before the Christian holiday, All Saints Day, (November 1st). The night before All Saints Day Christian would dress up as their favorite Saints and parade to the outskirts of town leading the ghosts away in a All Hollows Eve Procession.

 

 

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