Spook-tacular: SRU-themed jack-o’-lantern stencils
Download SRU-themed jack-o’-lantern stencils
Sept. 30, 2016
SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. - In the spirit of Halloween, Slippery Rock University has a real "treat" for your pumpkin carving pleasure. Created by student designer Tyler Sing, a senior art major from Pittsburgh, the stencils include: "Dawn of SRU," "Batty about The Rock," "Rock Raven," "SRU Diablo" and "The Walking SRU."
Ready to get carving? Don't worry; downloading the stencils isn't "trick"-y at all. Click on the images below and you'll be "brewing" up some fun in no time at all.
What's that, you say? You wonder how carved pumpkins came to be known as jack-o'-lanterns in the first place? Wonder no more my friends, as we share with you the legend of "Stingy Jack."
According to legend, 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 10 more years.
Soon after, Jack died. As the story goes, God would not allow such an unsavory figure into heaven. The Devil, upset by the trick Jack had played on him and keeping his word not to claim his soul, would not allow Jack into hell. He sent Jack off into the dark night with only a burning coal to light his way. Jack put the coal into a carved-out turnip and has been roaming the Earth with ever since. The Irish began to refer to this ghostly figure as "Jack of the Lantern" which became "Jack O'Lantern" and finally jack-o'-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.
Happy Halloween ... and remember to share your pumpkin pictures with us on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/slipperyrockuniversity/ or on Twitter at: @SRUofPA.
MEDIA CONTACT: Robb King | 724.738.2199 | robert.king@sru.edu