Discover the secrets of the Celts


From Where Did Jack-O-Lanterns Come?

No one knows for sure when the firstroad when the Devil comes to claim his soul.
Jack-o-lanterns were made. In ancient timesThinking quickly, Jack tempts the Devil to
the Celts celebrated the feast of Samhainclimb a tree for an apple. When the Devil
(pronounced: SOW'en) in Ireland and Scotland,climbs the tree, Jack carves a cross into the
and that holiday eventually became known astree, preventing the Devil from getting down.
Halloween. The Celts believed that on thatJack then forces the Devil to promise never
day the spirits of the dead roamed the earthtake his soul, and the Devil, reluctantly,
and would visit the homes where they onceagrees.
lived. Costumes and lanterns carved from
turnips, potatoes and beets were used toJack eventually dies and tries to get into
frighten away evil spirits, as they areheaven, but heaven won't have him because
today. The lanterns eventually became knownhe's spent a lifetime being dishonest,
as  Jack-o-lanterns.drinking, tricking, and being mean. So Jack
goes to hell and tries to enter, but he can't
When Christianity spread through Britain andenter there either because he'd made the
Ireland, Samhain gradually became known asDevil promise never to take his soul. So the
All Hallow's Eve or Halloween. A tale beganDevil tells Jack he has to leave the way he
to be told in Ireland of a man named Jack,came, by a dark and treacherous path.
who almost lost his soul to the Devil but whoFrightened, Jack begs the Devil for a light,
tricks  him  instead.and the Devil throws Jack a coal from hell.
Jack puts the coal into a half-eaten turnip
Different versions of the tale exist, but into make a lantern, and turns to roam his path
one version, Jack, a n'er-do-well, gets soendlessly  with  nowhere  to  rest.
drunk one Halloween that the Devil comes to
steal his soul. Jack delays by asking theIn Ireland and Scotland, on Halloween people
devil if they can have one last drink beforewould place carved or painted turnip or beet
descending to hell. The Devil agrees, butlanterns on their doorstep to warn off evil
Jack then says he doesn't have enough moneyspirits with the lost soul of Jack. When the
for the drinks, but if the devil is willingIrish emigrated to the Americas, they brought
to change himself into a coin, they can paywith them their Halloween traditions and
for the drinks and then the Devil can changebegan carving pumpkins in place of turnips,
back again. The Devil agrees and when hepotatoes and beets, but they are still known
changes into a coin, Jack quickly places theas  Jack-O-Lanterns.
coin into his wallet next to a cross,
preventing the Devil from changing back. JackSocial network users, click for myspace
then strikes another bargain with the iratecomments such as compliments, cool comments,
Devil, telling him he will release him onlylove, flirty, birthday, holidays, religion,
if he promises not to bother Jack for somefunny, cute, etc. You can also use myspace
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Years later, Jack is walking down a countryprofile.



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