WEBVTT - BrainStuff Classics: Why Do We Carve Pumpkins Around Halloween?

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<v Speaker 1>Welcome to brain Stuff, a production of I Heart Radio,

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<v Speaker 1>Hey brain Stuff. I'm Lauren Vogelbaum, and today's episode is

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<v Speaker 1>another classic from our archives. In this one, we explore

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<v Speaker 1>Halloween tradition that's charming but pretty dang odd when you

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<v Speaker 1>think about it, the carving and lighting of pumpkins into

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<v Speaker 1>jack o' lanterns. Hey brain Stuff, Lauren voc obam Here.

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<v Speaker 1>Traditions have always played a big part in what defines

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<v Speaker 1>any holiday, but Halloween's traditions are some of my favorites.

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<v Speaker 1>The costumes, the trigger treaters, the horror flicks, and the

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<v Speaker 1>maccab decor, including jack o' lanterns grinning and glowing next

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<v Speaker 1>to front doors all across America. Like most folklore, the

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<v Speaker 1>history of the jack o lantern varies a bit depending

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<v Speaker 1>on who's telling the story, but all stories involve a

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<v Speaker 1>clever drunkard who pulls one over on the devil. Legend

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<v Speaker 1>has it. In sevente or eighteenth century Ireland, a foul

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<v Speaker 1>moutain disreputable miser named Stingy Jack asked the devil to

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<v Speaker 1>go have a drink with him. Jack was the generic

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<v Speaker 1>name for the common man at the time, hence Jack

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<v Speaker 1>of all trades, every man, Jack, Jack, the ripper, et cetera.

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<v Speaker 1>But back to stingy Jack and his request for a drink.

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<v Speaker 1>The devil obliged, and when the bill came there was

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<v Speaker 1>that awkward moment that we're also familiar with. Jack expected

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<v Speaker 1>the devil to take care of things, and the devil

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<v Speaker 1>thought Jack should pony up. Seeing as how Jack had

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<v Speaker 1>no money anyway, he convinced the devil to turn himself

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<v Speaker 1>into a sixpence coin to pay the bill. The devil

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<v Speaker 1>fell for it, and Jack skipped on the bill, but

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<v Speaker 1>slipped the coin into his pocket, where he had a

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<v Speaker 1>secret weapon, a silver cross. The devil was stuck in

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<v Speaker 1>Jack's pocket, trapped by the cross, but Jack struck a

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<v Speaker 1>deal had let the devil go, provided the devil wouldn't

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<v Speaker 1>come after Jack for a period of one year or

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<v Speaker 1>ten years, depending on who you ask. The devil had

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<v Speaker 1>no choice but to agree. Jack took out the coin

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<v Speaker 1>and the devil returned to his normal form and went

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<v Speaker 1>on his not so merry way. At the end of

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<v Speaker 1>the agreed upon time frame, the devil found Jack for

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<v Speaker 1>a little payback, but somehow Jack convinced him to climb

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<v Speaker 1>a tree in search of an apple for Jack before

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<v Speaker 1>they set off for Hell. The horned one once again obliged,

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<v Speaker 1>only to see Jack carve across into the tree trunk,

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<v Speaker 1>leaving the beast stranded again. Jack had his sights on

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<v Speaker 1>a higher prize. This time, he said had let the

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<v Speaker 1>devil down only if he promised to never claim Jack's

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<v Speaker 1>soul for Hell. The devil had nothing to do but agree.

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<v Speaker 1>When Jack died, St Peter rejected him at the pearly

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<v Speaker 1>gates because of his suspect credentials. The devil wouldn't and couldn't,

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<v Speaker 1>let Jack into Hell for their agreement at the tree.

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<v Speaker 1>In the end, the devil gave Jack a lump of

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<v Speaker 1>burning coal to light his way through purgatory. Jack carried

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<v Speaker 1>the coal inside of a hollowed out turnip. Irish families

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<v Speaker 1>told the tale and began to put carved out turnips

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<v Speaker 1>in their windows to prevent Stingy Jack and other ghouls

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<v Speaker 1>from entering the home. Some had scary faces carved into

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<v Speaker 1>them to frighten such ghosts away. The tail spread to

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<v Speaker 1>Scotland and England, where folks might use potatoes or beats.

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<v Speaker 1>When those families immigrated to America, they realized that the

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<v Speaker 1>pumpkin native to the area was more ideal for carving,

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<v Speaker 1>and that is why you see jack o' lanterns on

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<v Speaker 1>which is around Halloween. Today's episode was written by Emily

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<v Speaker 1>Sane Bogan and produced by Tyler Clang. For more on

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<v Speaker 1>this and lots of other topics, visit how stuff works

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<v Speaker 1>dot com. Brainstuff is production of I Heart Radio. For

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<v Speaker 1>more podcasts for my heart Radio, visit the iHeart Radio app,

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<v Speaker 1>Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.