What were jack o lanterns original purpose?

Answer 1

There is an Irish myth about a man named Jack who pestered the devil.

As the legend goes, when Jack died God would not allow such an unsavory figure into heaven. The Devil, upset by the tricks Jack had played on him, would not allow Jack into hell. He sent Jack off into the dark night with only a burning coal to light his way. Jack put the coal into a carved-out turnip and has been roaming the Earth with ever since. The Irish began to refer to this ghostly figure as "Jack of the Lantern," and then, simply "Jack O'Lantern."

Because people once believed that on Halloween, ghosts of the dead returned to earth, they would carve scary faces into potatoes, turnips and beets and place them in their windows to ward off evil spirits such as the mythical Jack.

Answer 2

Jack O Laterns come from a Irish story about a bad boy named Jack who was deemed so bad that he was made to roam the earth with a lantern lit by a piece of coal. In Ireland it was a turnip that was used as the lantern on All Hallows Eve to scare away the devil, but when the Irish came to the American colonies they began to use the pumpkin instead of a turnip. Halloween comes from ancient times and is an old pagan custom.

Answer 3

To scare away beasts - like gargoyles.

Answer 4

it is said that jack-o-lanters scare away evil spirits.

Answer 5

It was the festival of All Hallows Eve which is a pagan festival celebrating originally the end of summer and the start of winter when all the harvested crops were brought in.

Answer 6

To scare evil spirits.