The Haunted History of Jack O'Lantern

We all know that Halloween is derived from All Hallows Eve, an old Catholic church tradition. Many might even know that it relates back to a 5th century Celtic tradition, called Samhain, that celebrated the end of their summer and the end of their year on October 31st. November 1st was known as Celtic New Year and it was said that all the souls of those who had died during the year would come back on the last day and wander around looking for a body to possess in the afterlife. Spooky no doubt.

But what about that enduring icon of Halloween, the Jack O'Lantern? Nary a doorstep isn't adorned by one of those glowing gourds carved in everything from ghoulish to goofy motifs. The ones pictured here are designed and carved by Debbie's boys; Connor (6) and Tanner (10). Pretty good, huh? Who doesn't have a fond memory of scooping out the stringy guts and feverishly carving away in anticipation of that magic moment when a simple candle will make the ordinary pumkin into something special?

It turns out that we have to go back to Ireland again for the legend of Jack, a notorious drunken trickster. You see, Jack was so clever that he played tricks on the devil himself. There's a few different versions of the story, and they usually involve Jack's use of a cross. In one case he convinced our horned friend to climb a tree and get an apple for him. While beelzabub was up in the tree, Jack carved some crosses in the trunk so the devil couldn't come down. Then he made him promise never to take Jack's soul. Ah, but the devil always gets his due.

When the hard drinking Jack's liver finally gave out and his judgement day came, he was turned away from the pearly gates because of all the tricks he had played. As he had promised, the devil couldn't take him either. So, Jack was left to wander the darkness between Heaven and Hell for eternity. A grinning Devil tossed him a glowing coal from the fires of Hell to help Jack light his way. So, Jack placed the coal in a hollowed out turnip to make it last longer........ What? A turnip?

Yes, a turnip. There weren't any pumkins in Ireland. But during the great potato famine in Ireland during the 1840's, America got a big influx of Irish immigrants. They brought the legend of Jack with them. It didn't take long to see that the pumkin was custom made to carry on the tradition of the Jack O'Lantern. It was a lot easier to hollow out than a turnip to boot!

Some final trivia: Jack O'Lantern (short for Jack of the Lantern) was first used in print in 1750 to describe a night watchman. It was also commonly used to refernce the strange light known to hover over Irish marshland (also Will O' the Wisp). Could that be the famous "swamp gas" used to explain UFO sightings here in the States? Is Jack an Alien? Could there be some connection between the legend and some ancient alien encounter?.....

.....something to ponder on the up coming Celtic end of summer spook fest, when history-geeks become history-ghosts! Boo!

Sippin' History

Fall is in the air. Leaves are turning and nights are getting cool. Like many history geeks I enjoy getting comfy with my favorite history book and a glass of something to warm my insides this time of year. There is but one choice for me: Laird's Apple Jack. It's history in a bottle!

This entry's illustration is a 5"x7" oil painting I did of a Revolutionary War soldier hoisting a bottle of Laird's. Perhaps it's even Robert Laird who served under George Washington during the war. By that time, Laird's had been making Apple Jack in Monmouth County, New Jersey for over 70 years. William Laird came to the US in 1698 from Scotland and started distilling soon afterwards. By 1717 he owned the Colts Neck Inn (which still stands today) and served his Apple Brandy there. George Washington was already acquianted with the Lairds by the time Robert served in the army. In 1760 he wrote the family asking for the recipe. According to the website, he's the only one who ever got it.

Laird's also has the distinction of holding commercial distilling license number one in the United States, which was granted in 1780. The Laird family business survived war, fire and prohibition in order to stick around for nearly 300 years. If you like history and the occaisional tipple, you have to try this stuff!

Ok, so how do you drink it? There's plenty of recipes on their site, but being a Jersey boy, might I suggest the Jersey Cocktail. I wish I could take complete credit for the idea, but my buddy Fred is really the inventor. You see, New Jersey is also famous for cranberry production so he likes to mix his Apple Jack with cranberry juice in a tall glass over ice. Simple and refined, like the man himself.

I'm a bit of a mixologist, so my recipe is a little more involved. I like to describe Apple Jack as bourbon made with apples. It's not quite, but you get the idea. So, I do a Jersey style manhattan. Put ice, Apple Jack and cranberry juice into a shaker (ratios to taste) and add a splash of sweet Vermouth. Shake vigorously and strain into a martini glass. Garnish with a couple of fresh cranberries. Then, sit back, kick up your feet and raise a glass to old William Laird from county Fyfe Scotland! Where's that book? What's on the History Channel? Can't you just taste the history?

I can, but I'm a geek.