What else SCREAMS Halloween more than the classic Jack o' Lantern?! Some of the earliest Halloween imagery was that of Jack o' Lanterns, and continued throughout the years as hand-made German paper-over-cardboard pieces, or molded pulp paper examples made in mid-century USA.
Here are our current offerings of vintage and antique Jack o' Lanterns!
People have been making jack-o’-lanterns at Halloween for centuries. The practice originated from an Irish myth about a man nicknamed “Stingy Jack.” According to the story, Stingy Jack invited the Devil to have a drink with him. True to his name, Stingy Jack didn’t want to pay for his drink, so he convinced the Devil to turn himself into a coin that Jack could use to buy their drinks. Once the Devil did so, Jack decided to keep the money and put it into his pocket next to a silver cross, which prevented the Devil from changing back into his original form. Jack eventually freed the Devil, under the condition that he would not bother Jack for one year and that, should Jack die, he would not claim his soul. The next year, Jack again tricked the Devil into climbing into a tree to pick a piece of fruit. While he was up in the tree, Jack carved a sign of the cross into the tree’s bark so that the Devil could not come down until the Devil promised Jack not to bother him for ten more years.
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American-made pulp Jack o' Lanterns will ALWAYS be some of my very favorite decorations! This ALL-ORIGINAL, classic smiling Jack retains his original paint and his original paper insert as well -- giving him his charming, albeit somewhat zany, expression. His wire handle is original to him as well. LEARN MORE >>
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