Stingy Jack Have you ever wondered why we carve pumpkins on Halloween or how the tradition started? The tradition originated from an Irish folktale. The folktale was called stingy jack, it is an old irish legend that goes back hundreds of years. The irish find this tale to be religious. The legend of Stingy Jack says that he was a mean drunk who played tricks on his family, friends, and even the Devil. According to the story, Jack invited the Devil to have a drink with him. At the bar Jack didn’t want to pay for his drink. He tricked the Devil into turning into a coin so he could pay for the drinks without actually losing money. When the Devil turned into the coin Jack put him in his pocket with a silver cross so the Devil could not escape. After a few months Jack finally let the Devil go but only under the condition that the Devil would not bother him for a year. The Devil agreed and Jack let him free. The next year Jack met up with the Devil again. He convinced the Devil to climb a tree containing fruit, to pick a piece of fruit. The Devil fell into Jack’s tricks again. When he was…show more content… He went to the beautiful gates of heaven. When he arrived at the gates he was surprised to find out that they would not allow him in. Saint Peter told him that he was mean and cruel and had led a terrible life on Earth. After being rejected from heaven Jack went to the gates of Hell and the Devil. When he arrived the Devil would not allow him to enter because of the promise he had made to Jack. Jack was now stuck in darkness and asked the Devil how he would be able to see through all the darkness. The devil then threw ember from the firing burning in Hell to Jack. Jack had a turnip with him because that was his favorite food. The ember was placed in the turnip like a lantern. This was when Jack became known as Jack O'lantern, because he lit the darkness between heaven and hell with his