When people think of Jack O'Lanterns, they think of Halloween and carving scary faces into them to spook the trick or treaters. Well, that's what I thought too before doing the research. It seems that though were/are used to ward off or fool evil spirits. Halloween, or Samhain, as it's also known, is the day that the spirits and such are free to walk among us. This goes unnoticed because there are a ton of people, adults and kids alike, dressed up for the day. So the spirits blend in with those already in costume and walk among the living. The Jack O'Lantern will keep away the spirits that are harmful or perhaps tricksters. The term Jack O'Lantern literally means "Man with a Lantern". In old days, the men would carry these things to ward off evil. More Folklore: In England, ghostly lights would appear over marshes and such. These were said to move up and down almost as though it was a man holding a lantern, and these were thought of as signals to lost souls.
Blessed Be!
~Harmony
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