In the 19th century, " turnips or mangel wurzels, hollowed out to act as lanterns and often carved with grotesque faces," were used on Halloween in parts of Ireland and the Scottish Highlands. It is believed that the custom of making jack-o'-lanterns at Halloween time began in the British Isles. The carving of vegetables has been a common practice in many parts of the world. Modern carving of a Cornish Jack-o'-Lantern made from a turnip. History A plaster cast of a traditional Irish Jack-o'-Lantern in the Museum of Country Life, Ireland. Used especially in East England, its earliest known use dates to the 1660s. The term jack-o'-lantern was originally used to describe the visual phenomenon ignis fatuus (lit., "foolish fire") known as a will-o'-the-wisp in English folklore. Artificial jack-o'-lanterns with electric lights are also marketed.Įtymology An assortment of carved pumpkins. A light source, traditionally a flames from a candle or tealight, is placed within before the lid is closed. To make a jack-o'-lantern, the top of a pumpkin or turnip is cut off to form a lid, the inside flesh is scooped out, and an image-usually a "scary" or "funny" face-is carved out of the rind to expose the hollow interior. It is common to see jack-o'-lanterns used as external and internal decorations prior to and on Halloween. Jack-o'-lanterns carved from pumpkins are a yearly Halloween tradition that developed in the United States when Celtic Americans brought their root vegetable carving tradition with them. The name is also tied to the Irish legend of Stingy Jack, a drunkard who bargains with Satan and is doomed to roam the Earth with only a hollowed turnip to light his way. Its name comes from the reported phenomenon of strange lights flickering over peat bogs, called will-o'-the-wisps or jack-o'-lanterns. Jack-o'-lanterns are associated with the Halloween holiday. A jack-o'-lantern in the shape of the Wikipedia logo.Ī jack-o'-lantern (or jack o'lantern) is a carved lantern, most commonly made from a pumpkin or a root vegetable such as a rutabaga or turnip. A traditional American jack-o'-lantern, made from a pumpkin, lit from within by a candle. For other uses, see Jack-o'-lantern (disambiguation).
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |