Orange leaves and freshest air,
The sun is gone and darkness there.
Smiling wide and gazing bright,
Jack O’Lantern glows through the night.

— Anne Hanß

As October comes to a close, carved pumpkins begin to appear in front of houses, in malls, and even online. Like Halloween itself, this tradition originated in Ireland—originally using turnips as the vegetable of choice. But what are the origins of the so-called Jack O’Lantern?

The Myth of Stingy Jack

The iconic pumpkin decoration finds its origins in the old Irish myth of Stingy Jack. According to legend, Jack was a drunkard who committed many misdeeds during his life.

One evening at a bar, the devil appears to Jack, intending to take him to hell. Jack asks the devil to buy him one last beer, and the devil agrees. Since he forgot his purse, the devil transforms himself into a coin. Then, cunning as ever, Jack slips the coin into his pocket, preventing the devil from changing back. Jack only frees him after making him promise not to return for the next ten years.

A decade goes by, and the devil returns to collect Jack. Once again, Jack manages to trick him into leaving without taking him.

When Jack eventually dies, he is denied entry to heaven for his misdeeds and to hell because of the devil’s promise. In pity, the devil gives Jack a piece of burning coal to light his way in the darkness, then sends him away for good. Jack places the coal in a carved-out turnip to carry, and his restless soul is said to wander the earth for eternity.

Jack O’Lantern’s Rise to Fame

During the 19th century, Irish settlers brought this myth of the Jack O’Lantern to the United States. There, turnips were swapped for larger, easier to carve pumpkins, and the tradition grew in popularity. Only a few decades ago, in the late 20th century, the custom spread to other parts of the world, predominantly Canada and Europe.

Nowadays, the Jack O’Lantern is the face of Halloween in many countries. So, as pumpkins glow on this October 31st, their origins come to mind—each a little light left for Jack as he roams through the dark.