Weeks before Halloween in shop windows and doorways of homes springing cute and slightly creepy pumpkins. Why do people make lanterns for Halloween?
There are several legends that answer the question „why have lanterns on Halloween?“ And they are all related to the same person that people know today as Jack lantern.
One legend tells of a man named Jack, who worked as a night watchman at a farm. Every night when cruising of view, he saw flashing lights in the distance and often joked that these are ghosts that play. And since at that time there was no electricity, the guard was walking with old wooden lantern.
From there out, and his nickname – Jack lantern. The next Hello people remembered for his jokes and decided to make lanterns with flashing lights with which to see ghosts. Pumpkin instead chose wood because it was so expensive.
Another legend tells of Jack – Irish, known in the village as stingy and rude man. Once he tricked the devil to his promise not to send him to hell for his sins. But when he died and went to the gates of heaven, do not let him go, so he decided to seek the devil and go to hell. But the devil opened the door for him and so sent Jack to wander between heaven and hell. When Jack asked him how we see where it’s going, the devil threw him a handful of coal that rambling put in made him pumpkin lantern.
The third version mixed up with Jack lantern theft for which villagers chased him and wanted to kill him. On his way he met the devil and offered him a deal – in exchange for a few more years of life, Jack would help him rule over the local church. The Devil agreed. But in order for the thief to return to the village, he had to pay his debts. So the devil became the coin and history repeats itself.
Irish legend Jack was brought in the 19th century in the United States and thus emerged the tradition of Halloween pumpkin lanterns. In addition the following legends, some people believe that the lanterns symbolize the souls of the dead, so on October 31 are an integral part of the holiday.
