Jack-O’-Lanterns: An Irish Tradition

Jack-O'-Lanterns: An Irish Tradition
The term Jack-o'-the Lantern referred to ignis fatuus, lights that would appear over swampy marshes that had no apparent cause. Will-0'-the Wisp is another folk term used to describe these lights. The eponymous "Jack" in Jack-o'-the-Lantern was said to be an 18th century blacksmith nobody liked because he was mean-spirited. It was said that Jack tricked the Devil and was given an ember straight out of hell to light his lantern as he wanders the earth alone for all of eternity. While there are...
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