Jack O' Lanterns, Painted Pumpks, and Pompons in Disguise... Oh my!

All-Things-Creative Wednesday

Oh what fun Halloween is!!!

There are oh so many ways to decorate for the occasion - the pumpkin being the most celebrated ornament to do so with!

Origin of the Jack O' Lantern

Originating from Irish folkfore, the Jack-o-lantern was used as a light for the lost soul of Stingy Jack, a notorious trickster, stuck between worlds. Jack is said to have tricked the devil by carving an image of a cross in a trunk of a tree and trapping the devil there. His pranks denied him access to Heaven, and having angered the devil also to Hell, so Jack was a lost soul, trapped between worlds. As a consolation, the devil gave him a sole ember to light his way through the darkness between worlds. Jack put the coal into a carved-out turnip and has been roaming the Earth with it ever since.

The Irish began to refer to this ghostly figure as "Jack of the Lantern," and then, simply "Jack O'Lantern." People began to make their own versions of Jack's lanterns by carving scary faces into turnips or potatoes and placing them into windows or near doors to frighten away Stingy Jack and other wandering evil spirits.

Later, when immigrants came to the new world, pumpkins were more readily available, and so the carved pumpkins carrying a lit candle served the same function.

Yesterday we talked about the many faces of Johnny Depp for costume ideas here... and you can even carve your pumpkin in his image!

The infamous Jack O' Lantern

Some non traditional (aka less spooky) and pretty ways to display pumpkins at Halloween

Painted Pumpkins

Pumpkins looking ready to do a little Trick or Treating themselves!

And last but not least, pumpkin lobbiers!

K.

Images via Better Homes and Gardens, Country Living, Good Housekeeping