One of the Jack-O-Lantern traditions comes from the "Treat" part that we talked about earlier. If you had a light in a turnip, that was the spirit that was to protect yourself and your household from the other evil spirits that were set "loose" on that night...

           « The druids priests would also go from house to house demanding food, and if they were given none, they would speak a demonic curse over the household to cause someone to die within the next year. They carried out on the inside with a demonic face carved in the front. The light from the candle inside represented their 'familiar spirit' known as Jock, on whom they depended for their power and knowledge. His spirit would carry out their curse upon the household. When this custom was brought to America, instead of turnips, pumpkins were used. The spirit which inhabited the pumpkin was called 'Jock' thus we have Jack of the lantern or Jack 0'Lantern. » 17

          It is said that they use pumpkins because they were not used at that time, and it was so much easier than the turnips that they used to take. The Webster's dictionary definition of the Jack-O-Lantern is "a lantern made of a pumpkin cut out like a human face." So the pumpkin's face represents the demon (or spirit as they would call it) that live on the inside of that pumpkin.

          « On Halloween night each druid dressed in hooded robes and has slung over his shoulder on a cord, a large, hallowed-out turnip is as a face, the likeness of the demon spirit that dwells inside. This spirit is the druid's spirit guide [another demon], his personal little god, who directs and empowers his life. When the Celtics immigrated to New World they found pumpkins, much easier to hollow out and carve than turnips. Among the English-speaking Celts the hollowed turnip or pumpkin was known as (Jock, Jack) who lived in them. » 18

           So the druid, in a sense, was carrying his little demon with him. In the United States people are starting to have their little demon in their house! The evil spirits are trying to invade us in anyway they can, even through the TV set. When all these evil and fearful movies are playing in our living room, they are releasing fear on us, even in our own houses. As some said once: "If we remove the music from the horror movie, it is not as fearful as it appear." To conclude this, it is the image AND music that is communicating these fear and it can affect our lives for a long time until we deal with it.

           The other story is an Old Irish story with a man name Jack and the devil. « According to Irish folklore a man named Jack, well known for his drunkenness and quick temper got very drunk at a local pub on All Hallows Eve. As his life began to slip away the devil appeared to claim Jack's soul. Jack, eager to stay alive, begged him to have just one more drink before he died. The devil agreed. Jack was short of money and asked him if he wouldn't mind assuming the shape of a sixpence so Jack could pay for the drink and after the transaction the devil could change back.

           Seeing how the devil is quite gullible in almost all of these folk tales, he agreed again to help Jack out and changed himself into a sixpence. Jack immediately grabbed the coin and shoved it into his wallet, which just happened to have a cross-shaped catch on it. The devil, now imprisoned in the wallet screamed with rage and ordered Jack to release him. Jack agreed to free him from his wallet if he agreed not to bother Jack for a whole year. Again, he agreed to Jack's terms. Realizing he now had a new lease on life, at least for a year, Jack decided to mend his ways. For a time Jack was good to his wife and children and began to attend Church and give charity. Eventually Jack slipped back into his evil ways. The next All Hallows Eve as Jack was heading home the devil appeared and demanded that Jack accompany him...

           Once again Jack, not too eager to die, distracted him by pointing to a nearby apple tree. Jack convinced him to get an apple out of the tree and even offered to hoist him up on his shoulders to help him get the apple. The devil, fooled once again by Jack, Climbed into the tree and plucked an apple. Jack took out a knife and carved a cross into the trunk of the tree. Trapped once again, he howled to be release and told Jack he would give him 10 years of peace in exchange for his release. Jack, on the other hand, insisted he never bother Jack again. The devil agreed and was release. Almost a year later Jack's body unable to keep up with Jack's evil ways, gave out and Jack died. When Jack tried to enter Heaven he was told that because of his meanness he would not be allowed into Heaven. When Jack attempted to gain entry into Hell, the devil, still smarting from years of humiliation refused Jack's admission. However, being the kind devil that he was, he threw Jack a piece of coal to help Jack find his way in the dark of limbo. Jack put the piece of coal into a turnip and it became known as a Jack O' Lantern. On All Hallows Eve if you look you can still see Jack's flame burning dimly as he searches for a home. » 19

          The story of Jack O Lantern (the one about the man roaming the earth with a lantern) is a lie that the devil is trying to pass by us. The Bible instructs us that once dead, we cannot come back to life in this world (Luke 16:22-26 , Hebrews 9:27 ). The main idea behind this tradition is that evil can keep us far from God and from Heaven. The Bible tells us that God accepts EVERYONE that repents from his (or her) sins. In other words, according to tradition, Jack was not good enough for heaven, but the fact is that NOBODY is good enough for Heaven and in any way, NOBODY can earn their own salvation (Romans 3:10, 3:30, 3:23 and Ephesians 2:8-9 ). It's for that same reason that Jesus came on earth to die for us (otherwise He wouldn't have come to this earth to die for ALL sinners and save us from Hell that awaits the sinners that doesn't repent from their sins).

           In Satanism, one of the things you have to do is to renounce anything that talks about God. Then they blaspheme God's Holy Name in different ways. They do a lot of abominations that the Bible is condemning and are doing a lot of things contrary to what the Bible is saying. For example, they're mocking God by wearing upside down crosses and perverting what God has called holy (the Webster's dictionary gives us a good definition of pervert: "To cause to turn aside or away from what is good or true or morally right, corrupt. To divert to a wrong end or purpose").

           Another lie of the devil is that nobody can come back to Jesus because of the extreme evil that they have done against God or one of His follower's. The truth is that God HATES the SIN but loves the sinner. ANYBODY who did bad things can turn around and come back to Him anytime. NOBODY is far enough for God, for He can reach ANYBODY, IF they are willing to repent from their wickedness, and accept Him as their Savior. Because of the death of Jesus EVERYONE can go to Heaven, as He Himself said: «For God so greatly loved and dearly priced the world that He [even] gave up His only begotten (unique) Son, so that WHOEVER BELIEVES in (trust in, clings to, relies on) Him shall not perish (come to destruction, be lost) but have eternal (everlasting) life. » John 3:16. For more information sur on Heaven and Hell, Click here.

           In conclusion, we saw that the Jack-O-Lantern comes from two main stories. I believe that there is truth in those stories, but we have to remember that it is not because a story is told that we have to believe everything as truths. Concerning the first story, we do know that spirits exists (they are demons), but we cannot control them as we want to. I know that some might differ on this, but if someone says that they can control the spirits that they have, they will do it only for a short period. Concerning the second one, it is true that there is a Heaven and a Hell, but we cannot be refused from both. The Bible CLAIRLY mentions that if our names are not written in the book of life, we will go directly to Hell, or the lake of fire. (Revelation 20:15). If you think you're good enough to go to Heaven, you can verify if you can qualify for that. Click here.