Jack-o’-lanterns have become one of the most iconic symbols of Halloween. Their origin story isn’t exactly well documented, so tracing their roots involves some folklore, some agriculture, and literary influence. 

Research:

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• Lang, Cady. “What Is Samhain? What to Know About the Ancient Pagan Festival That Came Before Halloween.” TIME. Oct. 30, 2018. https://time.com/5434659/halloween-pagan-origins-in-samhain/
• National Park Service. “The Three Sisters.” https://www.nps.gov/tont/learn/nature/the-three-sisters.htm
• “London, Oct. 2.” The Bath Journal. October 4, 1779. https://www.newspapers.com/image/975623103/?terms=jack-o-lantern&match=1
• “Paris, November 30.” The Freeman’s Journal or The North American Intelligencer. Feb. 15, 1792. https://www.newspapers.com/image/39395048/?terms=jack-o-lantern&match=1
• “For This Gazette.” The Portland Gazette. Sept. 17, 1798. https://www.newspapers.com/image/904401967/?terms=jack-o-lantern
• Gish, Hannah. “Stingy Jack: The Origin of the Jack-O-Lantern.” Carnegie Center for Art & History. https://carnegiecenter.org/stingy-jack-the-origin-of-the-jack-o-lantern/
• Grannan, Cydney. "Why Do We Carve Pumpkins at Halloween?". Encyclopedia Britannica, 25 Oct. 2017, https://www.britannica.com/story/why-do-we-carve-pumpkins-at-halloween
• Oliveira, Rosane. “10 Things You Probably Didn’t Know About Pumpkins.” University of California. Oct. 25, 2018. https://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/news/10-things-you-probably-didnt-know-about-pumpkins#:~:text=Scientists%20believe%20that%20pumpkins%20originated,food%20staple%20among%20Native%20Americans.
• “Will-o’-the Wisp: Monstrous Flame or Scientific Phenomenon.” Monstrum. PBS. October 5, 2021. https://www.pbs.org/video/will-o-the-wisp-monstrous-flame-or-scientific-phenomenon-dsugln/
• Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia. "Samhain". Encyclopedia Britannica, 18 Sep. 2023, https://www.britannica.com/topic/Samhain
• Irving, Washington. “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.” https://www.gutenberg.org/files/41/41-h/41-h.htm
• Allen, Ida Bailey. “Try Jack-o’-Lantern Halloween Supper.” Quad-City Times. Oct. 31, 1952. https://www.newspapers.com/image/301873757/?terms=jack%20o%27lantern&match=1
• Huntley, Andrew. “The Jack-o-Lantern’s Origins.” Carnegie Museum of Natural History. https://carnegiemnh.org/the-jack-o-lanterns-origins/
• Ott, Cindy. “Pumpkin: The Curious History of an American Icon.” University of Washington Press. 2013.
• Traynor, Jessica. “The story of Jack-o’-lantern: ‘If you knew the sufferings of that forsaken craythur.’” Irish Times. Oct. 29, 2019. https://www.irishtimes.com/life-and-style/abroad/the-story-of-jack-o-lantern-if-you-knew-the-sufferings-of-that-forsaken-craythur-1.4065773