WEBVTT - Why Do We Carve Pumpkins Around Halloween?

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<v Speaker 1>Welcome to brain Stuff from How Stuff Works, Hey, brain Stuff,

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<v Speaker 1>Lauren voc obam here. Traditions have always played a big

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<v Speaker 1>part in what defines any holiday, but Halloween's traditions are

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<v Speaker 1>some of my favorites. The costumes, the trigger treaters, the

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<v Speaker 1>horror flicks of the maccab decor, including Jack o' lanterns

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<v Speaker 1>grinning and glowing next to front doors all across America.

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<v Speaker 1>Like most folklore, the history of the Jack o lantern

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<v Speaker 1>varies a bit depending on who's telling the story, but

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<v Speaker 1>all stories involve a clever drunkard who pulls one over

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<v Speaker 1>on the devil. Legend has it in seventeenth or eighteenth

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<v Speaker 1>century Ireland, a foul moutain disreputable miser named Stingy Jack

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<v Speaker 1>asked the devil to go have a drink with him.

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<v Speaker 1>Jack was the generic name for the common man at

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<v Speaker 1>the time, hence Jack of all trades, every man, Jack, Jack,

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<v Speaker 1>the ripper, et cetera. But back to Stingy Jack and

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<v Speaker 1>his request for a drink. The devil obliged, and when

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<v Speaker 1>the bill came there was that awkward moment that we're

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<v Speaker 1>also familiar with. Jack expected the devil to take care

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<v Speaker 1>of things and the devil thought Jack should pony up.

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<v Speaker 1>Seeing as how Jack had no money anyway, he convinced

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<v Speaker 1>the devil to turn himself into a sixpence coin to

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<v Speaker 1>pay the bill. The devil fell for it, and Jack

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<v Speaker 1>skipped on the bill, but slipped the coin into his pocket,

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<v Speaker 1>where he had a secret weapon, a silver cross. The

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<v Speaker 1>devil was stuck in Jack's pocket, trapped by the cross,

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<v Speaker 1>but Jack struck a deal. Had let the devil go,

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<v Speaker 1>provided the devil wouldn't come after Jack for a period

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<v Speaker 1>of one year or ten years, depending on who you ask.

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<v Speaker 1>The devil had no choice but to agree. Jack took

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<v Speaker 1>out the coin and the devil returned to his normal

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<v Speaker 1>form and went on his not so merry way. At

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<v Speaker 1>the end of the agreed upon time frame, the devil

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<v Speaker 1>found Jack for a little payback, but somehow Jack convinced

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<v Speaker 1>him to climb a tree in search of an apple

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<v Speaker 1>for Jack before they set off for Hell. The horned

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<v Speaker 1>one once again obliged, only to see Jack carve a

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<v Speaker 1>cross into the tree trunk, leaving the beast stranded again.

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<v Speaker 1>Jack had his sights on a higher prize. This time,

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<v Speaker 1>he said had let the devil down only if he

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<v Speaker 1>promised to never claim Jack's soul for Hell. Devil had

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<v Speaker 1>nothing to do but agree. When Jack died, St. Peter

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<v Speaker 1>rejected him at the Pearly Gates because of his suspect credentials.

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<v Speaker 1>The Devil wouldn't and couldn't let Jack into Hell for

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<v Speaker 1>their agreement at the tree. In the end, the devil

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<v Speaker 1>gave Jack a lump of burning coal to light his

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<v Speaker 1>way through purgatory. Jack carried the coal inside of a

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<v Speaker 1>hollowed out turnip. Irish families told the tale and began

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<v Speaker 1>to put carved out turnips in their windows to prevent

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<v Speaker 1>Stingy Jack and other ghouls from entering the home. Some

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<v Speaker 1>had scary faces carved into them to frighten such ghosts away.

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<v Speaker 1>The tail spread to Scotland and England, where folks might

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<v Speaker 1>use potatoes or beats. When those families immigrated to America,

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<v Speaker 1>they realized that the pumpkin native to the area was

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<v Speaker 1>more ideal for carving, and that is why you see

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<v Speaker 1>jack o' lanterns on porches around Halloween. Today's episode was

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<v Speaker 1>written by Emily Sanna Bogan and produced by Tyler playing

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<v Speaker 1>her More and This and lots of other glowing topics

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<v Speaker 1>visit our home planet, how stuff Works dot com