American society is strongly rooted in the old traditions of its country. The nation has always been a desired destination for immigrants from countries all over the world. Consequently, the traditions practiced by the country as a whole can often be traced back to the roots of one of the many subcultures that make up American culture. One such tradition, practiced for Halloween, is the jack-o’-lantern. The jack-o’-lantern is made by hollowing the inside of a pumpkin and then carving a spooky face into the outer shell. Once the face is carved into the pumpkin and the inside of the shell is dry, a candle is placed inside the shell to illuminate the face with a flickering flame. Like many of America’s modern day traditions, the origin of the jack-o’-lantern is found in the lore of a specific subculture.
During the 17th century, the term “jack-o’-lantern” was used to describe the mysterious lights that could sometimes be seen over bogs, marshes, and swamps in Europe. Often blue and purple in color, these lights occurred randomly and would always recede when approached for closer scrutiny. The technical name for the phenomena is ignis fatuus, (Medieval Latin for “foolish fire”), but is more commonly known today as will-o’-wisps. Several scientists …show more content…
It shows the importance placed on the practices of our ancestors and how easily they can become incorporated into modern day society. Many Americans do not know the symbolism behind the jack-o’-lantern, yet continue to carve one every year on Halloween. These traditions are not only repeated in order to respect previous generations, but also because they bring memories of quality time spent with family as children. American society has been, and will continue to be, strongly influenced by the plethora of traditions that can be found in melting pot called
During the 17th century, the term “jack-o’-lantern” was used to describe the mysterious lights that could sometimes be seen over bogs, marshes, and swamps in Europe. Often blue and purple in color, these lights occurred randomly and would always recede when approached for closer scrutiny. The technical name for the phenomena is ignis fatuus, (Medieval Latin for “foolish fire”), but is more commonly known today as will-o’-wisps. Several scientists …show more content…
It shows the importance placed on the practices of our ancestors and how easily they can become incorporated into modern day society. Many Americans do not know the symbolism behind the jack-o’-lantern, yet continue to carve one every year on Halloween. These traditions are not only repeated in order to respect previous generations, but also because they bring memories of quality time spent with family as children. American society has been, and will continue to be, strongly influenced by the plethora of traditions that can be found in melting pot called