With All Hallow’s Eve making an appearance tomorrow, Bryan and I got in the mood by carving some of our very own Jack o Lanterns.  Here are some pictures, as well as the history behind this tradition.  Enjoy!

Bryan cutting a hole in the top!

He chose a skull cut-out

I opted for a tombstone

Our finished products!

Roasting Pumpkin Seeds!

The History of the Jack o’Lantern:

The story of the Jack o’Lantern comes from Irish folklore. Jack was a crafty farmer who tricked the Devil into climbing a tall tree. When the Devil reached the highest branch, Jack carved a large cross in the trunk, making it impossible for the Devil to climb down. In exchange for help getting out of the tree, the Devil promised never to tempt Jack with evil again. When Jack died, he was turned away from Heaven for his sins and turned away from Hell because of his trickery. Condemned to wander the Earth without rest, Jack carved out one of his turnips, took an ember from the devil, and used it for a lantern to light his way. He became known as “Jack of the Lantern.”

In Ireland and Scotland, people began to make their own versions of Jack’s lanterns by carving scary faces into turnips or potatoes and placing them into windows or near doors to frighten away Stingy Jack and other wandering evil spirits. In England, large beets are used. Immigrants from these countries brought the jack o’lantern tradition with them when they came to the United States. They soon found that pumpkins, a fruit native to America, make perfect jack o’lanterns. (History.com)

I think its unfortunate that our site has been overrun with spam comments. Perhaps Bryan can make them go away??

And no, we haven’t died. We’re still here, and I promise to get better at updating on a timely basis. I mean, come on! We have soooo much going on right now planning for this wedding! Might as well share it all!

– Chelle