• Home
  • About
  • Lions Pride Endowment Fund of WI

Lions Pride Endowment Fund of Wisconsin

~ Today's Help, Tomorrow's Hope for Lions Camp and all WLF Projects

Lions Pride Endowment Fund of Wisconsin

Tag Archives: coin

National Pumpkin Day and the Story of the Jack O’ Lantern

24 Thursday Oct 2019

Posted by lionspridewi in News, Special Events

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

apple, coal, coin, creativity, decor, fun, Heaven, holiday, immigrants, ireland, jack o' lantern, lions pride, month, national pumpkin day, october, pattern, Saint Peter, scent, scotland, spirit, spirits, stingy jack, tradition, tree

smiling jack o lantern

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

If we were to ask you what object best symbolizes the month of October, how would you respond? If you’re like many of us, you would probably say the pumpkin. During this month, the famous orange gourd has shown up on doorsteps, featured in coffee drinks and has become the scent of choice for houses across the country.

To celebrate America’s favorite squash, National Pumpkin Day was born. The unofficial holiday is commemorated on Saturday, October 26. To honor the celebration, we thought we’d have some fun with the story of the Jack O’ Lantern.

Legend says, the Jack O’ Lantern came from an old man named “Stingy Jack” who liked to play tricks on people. One day, Stingy Jack invited the devil to have a drink with him. Old Jack decided that he didn’t want to pay for the drinks, so he convinced the devil to turn himself into a coin. Instead of paying for the drinks, Jack decided to keep the coin and placed it in his pocket next to a silver coin; therefore, trapping the devil. He eventually agreed to release the devil but made him promise not to bother him for another year. If he died, the devil could not claim his soul.

One year passed, and again Jack tricked the devil into climbing an apple tree. Once he was up the tree, he made the sign of the cross in the bark, again trapping the devil. He let him down but made him promise not to bother him for another decade.

Soon after, Stingy Jack died and made his way up to Heaven. Saint Peter told him that he was not allowed in, so he tried to get into hell. The devil also denied his entrance because of his promise not to claim his soul. He sent Jack off into the night with only a piece of coal lighting the way. Jack put the coal into a carved-out turnip and has been forced to roam the earth ever since.

In an attempt to ward off Stingy Jack and other wandering spirits, people In Ireland and Scotland began to make their own versions of Jack’s lanterns by carving scary faces into turnips and potatoes. As immigrants came to America, they brought their tradition with them but found pumpkins to be perfect for Jack O’ Lanterns.

If you still haven’t carved your annual pumpkin, there’s no better day to get creative than this Saturday. We invite you to show off your Lions Pride spirit with this fun pattern from Pumpkin Stencils:

Lion Pumpkin Pattern

Be sure to keep away Stingy Jack by carving your Halloween Jack O’ Lantern. Happy decorating!

RSS Lions Pride Blog

  • The 2021 Lions Club Convention Season February 25, 2021
    Lions Club International Convention Registration is now open! Although COVID-19 vaccinations are underway, the Board of Directors elected to transition …Continue reading →
  • Fun Facts About Pets February 18, 2021
    Let’s play a guessing game! We’ll use a few characteristics to describe a loved one and we want to see …Continue reading →
  • Three Reasons Why We Love Our Supporters February 11, 2021
    Valentine’s Day is right around the corner, which gives us all an opportunity to tell our cherished loved ones how …Continue reading →
  • The Benefits of Getting Outside February 4, 2021
    Did you know that the first Saturday of every month is known as National Play Outside Day? This unofficial holiday …Continue reading →
  • Fun Facts to Celebrate National Puzzle Day January 28, 2021
    There’s no question that technology has been the driving force behind life during the pandemic. We’ve hosted Zoom meetings to …Continue reading →
  • Uncomplicating Home Organization January 21, 2021
    Over the course of the past nine months, many of us have spent more time in our homes than ever …Continue reading →
  • Top Snowmobile Safety Tips January 14, 2021
    Coincidentally, this week also represents International Snowmobile Safety and Awareness Week. Before packing up your gear for a weekend enjoying …Continue reading →
  • The Best Time to Take Down Your Christmas Tree January 7, 2021
    The holidays are officially behind us. Christmas and the New Year have seemingly come and gone in the blink of …Continue reading →
  • Christmas Caroling Safety Tips December 17, 2020
    We know that likely everyone could use a boost of holiday cheer in 2020, and what better way than through …Continue reading →
  • The Story of the Poinsettia December 10, 2020
    There are a few symbols that are simply synonymous with the holiday season – beautifully decorated trees, stockings hung on …Continue reading →

Blog at WordPress.com.

Cancel

 
Loading Comments...
Comment
    ×
    Privacy & Cookies: This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this website, you agree to their use.
    To find out more, including how to control cookies, see here: Cookie Policy