Jack o'lanterns are carved with frightening faces to scare away evil spirits. Mine are simply carved pumkins, and are hardly frightening... (sorry, no draculas or gouls)... Just because Halloween is approaching is no reason to assume the pumpkins are anything other than what I have made them, is there?
2006-10-10 19:29:43 · 9 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
A man named Stingy Jack, a drunkard, who was clever, tricked the Devil into buying him drinks, and refused to repay him. The Devil swore he would never allow Jack into hell. Jack died. He arrived at the pearly gates of Heaven and was promptly told by Saint Peter that was ineligible for entry. Winding up at the not-so-pearly gates of hell, the Devil greeted him and keeping his long-standing promise, refused to let Jack enter 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 roamed the earth ever since. The Irish referred to this ghostly figure as "Jack of the Lantern," and then, simply "Jack O' Lantern."
In Ireland and Scotland, people began to make their own versions of Jack's lanterns by carving scary faces into turnips or potatoes and placing them into windows or near doors to frighten away Stingy Jack and other wandering spirits. Immigrants brought the Jack O' Lantern tradition with them when they came to the United States and soon found that pumpkins make perfect Jack O' Lanterns.
It's just a blanket term. What do you care what people call them as long as they BUY them?
2006-10-10 19:43:44 · answer #1 · answered by ReeRee 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋
You can't control what people will call them and use them for. I tend to carve cat faces and call those "jack-o-lanterns." As long as people like your pumpkins and think they're cute, there's no problem, right?
2006-10-10 19:38:10 · answer #2 · answered by GreenEyedLilo 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Jack o'lanterns are carved pumpkins. They don't have to be scary.
2006-10-10 19:32:56 · answer #3 · answered by taurus 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
.... IMO your reading WAY too deep into it.
to Most I'd say, "Jack o'Lanterns" are simply pumpkins carved for haloween, with no signifigant further meaning.
2006-10-10 19:33:37 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
its a carry over from England where they carved gourds instead as they did not have pumpkins there only small gourds.
Even though a pumpkin is a large gourd.
2006-10-10 19:39:51 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
It's just a pumpkin that's been carved. I think they make better pie.
2006-10-10 19:37:08 · answer #6 · answered by Shelly 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Tell them what you want to call your pumpkins then.
2006-10-10 19:34:20 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
I believe in Jesus Christ and his name make the Devil Tremble
2006-10-10 19:32:18 · answer #8 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 3⤋
dont worry Its just a word and a decoration...
2006-10-10 19:31:53 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 2⤋