Tuesday, October 12, 2010

Spiders and Jack-o-lanterns, oh my!


The hollow winds begin to blow,
The clouds look black, the glass is low;
The soot falls down, the spaniels sleep,
And spiders from their cobwebs peep.

Dr. Edward Jenner (1749–1823)


Did you know that the jack-o’-lantern dates back to medieval Ireland? Its legend involves an Irishman named Jack who was too stingy to go to heaven and too mischievous to go to hell.

Jack had to wander Earth until Judgment Day with a lantern made from a hollowed-out turnip with a live coal inside. Children started making these lanterns on Halloween; in the New World, people switched from turnips to pumpkins.


Riddle: How do you fix a jack-o’-lantern?
Answer: A pumpkin patch!


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