In the old days, it was believed that on the night of November 1, evil spirits come to the ground, threatening people. To protect themselves from evil spirits, people began to dress up in scary costumes, decorate their homes with images of ghosts and witches, and carve creepy faces on vegetables. From these superstitions remained the traditional pagan holiday - Halloween, which is celebrated to this day. Jack's lantern made of pumpkin became one of its main symbols.
Who is Jack?
There is an old legend about the appearance of this lantern. Once upon a time there was a greedy and cunning Irishman Jack. Once he invited the devil himself to the inn to have a couple of glasses of intoxicating. When they drank and it was time to pay the bill, Jack was able to persuade the devil to turn into a coin. Then he grabbed it and put it in his pocket, where he had a silver cross.
Thus, the devil was trapped. In order for the Irishman to release him, the Prince of Darkness agreed not to take his soul after Jack's death, and also not to arrange all sorts of intrigues. This is how Jack was able to deceive Satan for the first time.
Another time he asked the devil to climb a tree for fruit, and when he did this, he carved a cross on the bark. And the devil was trapped again. In order for the cunning Irishman to release him, Satan promised him 10 years of a carefree and carefree life.
However, Jack died soon after. He was not admitted to paradise, since the entrance is closed for sinners. But he was also not allowed to go to hell, since the devil kept his word. Since then, Jack's restless soul has been wandering around the world, illuminating his path with the last gift of Satan - a coal that the Irishman placed in an empty pumpkin. That is why, according to legend, the pumpkin lamps were nicknamed Jack's lanterns.
How to make Jack Lantern
So, to make a jack lantern, you will need:
- a sharp knife with a thin blade;
- a large and beautiful pumpkin;
- a spoon with a sturdy handle;
- felt-tip pen;
- stencil;
- a candle to be installed in the pumpkin.
Cut a hole in the top of the vegetable. It can be square or round, small or large - it depends on your preference. Use a spoon to scoop out the seeds and some of the pulp from the pumpkin. Do not throw away all this, but put it in separate containers. The seeds can be dried and fried. You can either eat them just like that or use them to decorate various dishes. In turn, the pulp will be used for cereals, soups, pies, various desserts and casseroles.
Draw a scary face on the vegetable. The nose, eyes, mouth and teeth should preferably be made larger, as they will need to be cut out, and the pumpkin usually has a very hard rind that is not easy to cut. At the bottom of the vegetable, make a small indentation for the candle so that it can stand comfortably and not fall. Place a candle there and light it. Then put the lid on the pumpkin.
And finally: be careful, remember the fire safety rules, do not put a homemade Jack-lantern near flammable objects and do not let small children play with it.
