I inherited just the tiniest bit of Irish (paternal) and Scottish (maternal) ethnicity…and so, last October I embraced a new tradition: carving turnip lanterns.
What is it about this week-and-a-half old lantern that makes me smile? Everything.
Hallowe'en arrived in America in the 19th century — brought by Irish & Scottish immigrants. The practice of carving a root vegetable, placing an ember inside and using it as a lantern is said to have originated with this cautionary tale:
There’s an 18th-century Irish folktale of Stingy Jack, an unsavory fellow often said to be a blacksmith who had a fondness for mischief and booze…Stingy Jack tricked the devil twice. When Jack died, he found himself barred from heaven—and from hell. The devil took pity on Jack, giving him an ember of coal to light his turnip lantern as he wandered between both places for eternity— inspiring the nickname Jack-of-the-Lantern, or jack-o’-lantern.1
Imagine the disquiet one might experience walking through silent fields in inky blackness, illuminated only by the flicker thrown from a wee turnip lantern…on a night wandering spirits are believed to return to their ancestral homes.
I think a person permeates a spot, and a lost presence makes the environment timeless to me, keeps an area alive. It pulsates because of that. —Andrew Wyeth (1917-2009)
I’ve always delighted in the notion that the veil is thinner and our ancestors closer this time of year. My connection to my departed ancestors has been strengthened by my genealogical research. They reveal themselves to me. Between Hallowe'en and the Spring Equinox I unearth details — often seemingly inconsequential.
On many occasions I’ve noticed some tiny detail, sometimes a name in a book (I quite randomly picked up at the library) or a landmark I’ve always been drawn to in our community. I encounter my ancestors all around me. I’m literally rooted in these ridges and valleys. We’ve been wandering these fields and forests since the 1700s.
Genealogy revives my family narrative - beautiful, strange, and often, traumatic. I lovingly collect & anthologize our stories. If I should encounter a departed soul on October 31, we’re likely on friendly terms. ♡
✑ Community
The last couple of months I’ve used this space to encourage interaction. To those readers who have contributed — thank you! Thank you for your kind comments, authentic recommendations and consistent encouragement.
If you wish to learn more about Hallowtide crafts, visit
, Elissa has shared a number of wonderful traditions and charms.Bachelor, Blane. “The Twisted Transatlantic Tale of American Jack-o’-Lanterns,” retrieved September 30, 2023 from National Geographic.
I love the idea of the veil of our ancestors being thinner this time of year. The idea of the deceased being closer to us than we think is a major theme in Laurus by Eugene Vodolazkin. Currently reading it. It is delightful.
Thanks for the history lesson, per usual. Had no clue about Jack. Yowza. Also that turnip is excellent... I'm gearing up to do a carving one of these days...