How did Jack-O-Lanterns originate? I always assumed it was just one of those American-made Halloween traditions, but I was very wrong. The Legend actually began in Ireland centuries ago.

 It was a story about a man named Jack who made a deal with the devil. The deal was that the devil would never claim his soul. However, his plan backfired, and when he died he was doomed to a life of wandering the earth for eternity. With a piece of eternally burning coal, held in a hole, and carved into a turnip.

People began to fear him and started cutting out their own turnips with a small candle to ward off Jack. Soon the Irish began immigrating to America, and they brought their traditions with them. Which is why every Halloween everyone carves pumpkins to put decorate. Unknowingly warding off Jack. 

There are thousands of Halloween traditions like this one that, like myself, people know nothing about. 

Halloween began as an ancient Celtic festival of Samhain. It was a pagan festival that welcomed the harvest at the end of summer. At this festival people, surprisingly, also dressed up. Although, not for the reason we do now. 

They dressed up to scare away ghosts and other unwanted spirits. Interestingly enough the people of this festival were actually terrified of the possibility of evil spirits roaming the earth.

Even the colors we use to identify Halloween date back to this festival. “Black” for the Celtics was a color that signifies death, and “orange” signified the harvest they celebrated at the beginning of Autumn. 

On Halloween I know I always go trick or treating, but in the mid 20th centuries candy wasn’t the only thing children received on Halloween. They were given toys and many other things. However, they only got a treat if their costume was good enough to not be guessed by the house owner. 

Halloween has been a national holiday for centuries, and all of the fun traditions we take part in every year have spine-chilling backstories to go along with them. Halloween will always be one of my favorite holidays, but after I heard these stories I think I love it even more.