National Pumpkin Day is on the 26th of October. This is a super exciting time as you get to carve whatever crazy, spooky, design you can think of into a pumpkin of your choice in the lead up to Halloween. But did you know they have huge vitamin properties like beta-carotene, fibre, potassium, and vitamin c. Pumpkins are very versatile and can be used to make soups, desserts, breads, and even pumpkin pie or cupcakes.
History of Pumpkin Day
The oldest pumpkin seeds were discovered by an archaeologist in the Oaxaca Highlands of Mexico. Pumpkins are thought to have originated in Central America over 7,500 years ago. The pumpkins used to be small with a bitter flavour and used to be kept for storing over the winter months as they didn’t decay quickly.
Carving pumpkins into jack-o’-lanterns is a popular Halloween tradition that begun hundreds of years ago in Ireland as a part of their Gaelic festival of Samhain. However, there jack-o’-lanterns were made from turnips or potatoes and lit them with embers to ward off evil spirits until some Irish immigrants arrived in America and discovered pumpkins and that they were much easier to carve.
Now pumpkins are commonly placed on doorstep, porches, and windowsills at the end of October and are carved ahead of Halloween night.
Fun Facts!
A farmer Stefano Cutrupi from Italy has just smashed the record, with a ginormous pumpkin which tipped the scales at 1,226 kg (2,702 lb 13.9 oz). Which is heavier than a Nissan Micra car, or about the same as 17.5 adult men! He has been growing giant pumpkins since 2008, presented the super-sized squash at the 10th edition of the Campionato della Zuccone pumpkin festival in Peccioli, near Pisa, on 26 September 2021.
Pumpkins are a member of the gourd family, which includes cucumbers, honeydew melons, cantaloupe, watermelons and zucchini. These plants are native to Central America and Mexico, but now grow on six continents except Antarctica.. who knew!
As well as decorating your home with real Pumpkins why not decorate with our great range of Halloween decorations to adorn your home. Click here for some spooky decorations including, bunting, gonks, felt witch's, signs and so much more...
Leave a comment