Show notes
From carved turnips to American pumpkins, the lantern's history is stranger than the familiar porch decoration.
Episode 6 of The Depths of Halloween. Elias, Mara and the Archivist debate the history, folklore and modern claims behind Jack-o'-Lanterns: Turnips, Pumpkins and Stingy Jack. The production distinguishes documented history from folklore and later reinterpretation where the evidence is uncertain.
Estimated scripted runtime: about 15.9 minutes before performance pacing.
Topics in this episode
- Before pumpkins
- Stingy Jack
- Protection or prank?
- The American icon
Sources and further reading
- Library of Congress: The Origins of Halloween Traditions
- Library of Congress: Halloween: Topics in Chronicling America
- Smithsonian Magazine: The Celtic Origins of Trick-or-Treating
- Smithsonian Magazine: When Halloween Was All Tricks and No Treats
- HISTORY: How Jack O’Lanterns Originated in Irish Myth
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