An unofficial holiday celebrated annually on October 26th.
The pumpkin is one of the main symbols of Halloween (in the U.S.) and is a central component of many fall festivals, Oktoberfests and similar celebrations. It is also delicious when served as food in a variety of ways. So it really shouldn't be a surprise that this orange squash has its own holiday.
Pumpkin Facts and Trivia
- The name of this squash comes from the Greek word Pepõn – a word that means “Large Melon.”
- Pumpkins are thought to have originated in North America, as seeds were found in Mexico dating back about 9,000 years.
- Pumpkins and other forms of squash were an important food staple to the Native Americans.
Jack-o-Lanterns
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| Image Source: Wikimedia Commons |
Jack-o'-lanterns carved from pumpkins are a yearly Halloween tradition brought to the United States by Irish Immigrants. Read all about the origin of the Jack-O-Lantern here.
Pumpkin Dishes
There are many ways to cook and enjoy this squash called a Pumpkin:
- Cook as a squash vegetable dish.
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| Pumpkin Chiffon Pie - Photo & Recipe by Sylvestermouse as seen on her Cooking for the Holidays site. |
- Pumpkin Pie – a traditional Thanksgiving dinner dessert. Check out this Pumpkin Chiffon Pie Recipe by Sylvestermouse.
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| Pumpkin Bread - Recipe by Sylvestermouse |
- Pumpkin Bread - See a delicious recipe for Pumpkin Bread by Sylvestermouse.
- Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes
Photo Compliments of Sam Monaco
from his Sam's Place Oven Roasted Pumpkin Seeds Recipe.
Pumpkin Seeds make a great snack. Check out this easy recipe for Oven Roasted Pumpkin Seeds from Sam's Place by Sam Monaco.
Handmade Pumpkins
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| Pumpkin Beverage Coasters on Etsy |
Crafters also like to get creative with pumpkins. This set of Pumpkin beverage coasters can be found in the Etsy Shop of Coastal Crochet Crafts. They are perfect for home décor in the season of Harvest-time, Autumn and Halloween.
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| Striped Crochet Pumpkin - Etsy |
Angela of Colorado hand-crochets this beautiful pumpkin in an earthy peach and creamy white stripes. It is stuffed with poly-fil, and features a birchwood stem and two faux fall leaves are secured to the pumpkin center with a dab of hot glue.
This pumpkin measures between 3” tall (4” with stem) and 15"-16” around which is approximately 4” wide. It is featured in her Etsy Shop 209 Divine, along with a variety of other holiday items.
The Pumpkin Patch
So get ready for National Pumpkin Day by visiting a pumpkin patch near you for a selection of pumpkins to cook, decorate your home for the Fall Season or carve into Jack-O-Lanterns for Halloween.
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| Tyler in the Pumpkin Patch |
My favorite photo of a pumpkin patch was taken by my son of my grandson Tyler as a toddler on his first-ever visit to a Pumpkin Patch.
*National Pumpkin Day Review written by Wednesday Elf
How sweet of you to include two of my pumpkin recipes in your Pumpkin Day holiday review! Thank you Elf. I do love our pumpkin chiffon pies and I have already purchased all of the ingredients needed to make 3 for Thanksgiving.
ReplyDeleteWe do have our two pumpkins decorating our front door entry area and would you believe, the only ornament we have on our Halloween tree is a pumpkin? This is the first year we have decorated a Halloween tree and I only got orange mums & one pumpkin for the decorations. (Next year, I hope to add a bat! You know I love bats) Happy Pumpkin Day!
Oh, I forgot to mention the picture! I have always loved that picture of Tyler in the pumpkin patch. Soooo adorable!
DeleteMouse, I was delighted to be able to share your pumpkin recipes in the food section of my Pumpkin Day review. Your mention of them reminded me that I needed to add a mention of Sam's recipe for his Oven Roasted Pumpkin Seeds.
ReplyDeleteGlad you enjoyed Tyler's pumpkin patch picture. I love that picture so much, it is currently my Shop Banner in my Etsy Store for the Harvest-time season! :)
You always help us celebrate holidays in style, from their histories to delicious recipes to lovely crafts to fun activities, Elf! I adore the photo of Tyler as a toddler on his “maiden voyage” through a pumpkin patch. Happy Pumpkin Day to you as well! 🎃
ReplyDeleteThank you, Margaret. Hope you find a fun way to celebrate National Pumpkin Day.
DeleteWell I know we enjoy Pumpkin everything here at our home. Our Thanksgiving would not be the same without some delicious Pumpkin Pie as the dessert! I happen to love indulging on pumpkin seeds too! Thanks for some new to me recipes to make using one of my favorite squashes! I love celebrating and will indulge in some new pumpkin breads and cakes.
ReplyDeleteEnjoy your pumpkin dishes, Olivia.
DeleteWhat a fun article!! Pumpkins are sure the hit of the fall. I particularly like pumpkin bread. A few years ago I had read that used jack-0-lanterns were great to fill with seeds for the birds after Halloween, so I set our old jack-o-lantern on our back deck filled with bird seed and had my camera set up at the back door to take photos of birds. Well I didn't get any birds, but I did get some delightful photos of squirrels eating out of it and then one night I captured a photo of a skunk eating out of the pumpkin! What a surprise!
ReplyDeleteWow, a skunk. The used Jack-O-Lantern and the bird seed certainly made a bunch of backyard critters happy, Mary Beth.
DeleteWhat a lovely special "day" to have! I love pumpkins so cheerful and bright at this time of year.Thank you for the pumpkin recipes. I love to eat pumpkin seeds as a snack and understand they are quite healthy for us.Love the crafts you highlight here and so good to see Tyler enjoying a very first visit to a Pumpkin patch, lovely memories for the family!Happy Pumpkin Day !!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Jasmine. Glad you enjoyed all my pumpkin stories and recipes.
DeleteOh, Pat, I can always count on you to learn something new. I never knew of a National Pumpkin Day until now. What a delightful article. I love that photo of your grandson Tyler, it is priceless. Thanks for the recipes and Thank You for including my roasted pumpkin seeds.
ReplyDeleteYou're welcome, Sam. Your roasted pumpkin seeds recipe fits right in with my story. Glad to have had it to include. :)
DeletePumpkins are healthy as well as tasty! I think my son and I are going to make a jack o lantern today - you never get too old for that.
ReplyDeleteI definitely agree. No matter your age, carving Jack-O-Lanterns is always a fun activity.
DeleteAwe, I love the crocheted pumpkin - so cute. I had no idea there was a national pumpkin day - there's a day for everything.
ReplyDeleteYes, there definitely is a day for everything. Thanks for your visit, Barbara.
DeleteI love the squash you are celebrating here but it was only recently that I developed an appreciate for some of the other members of the squash family. Thanks for helping us celebrate National Pumpkin Day and appropriate that it is so close to Halloween!
ReplyDeleteYes, Brenda, it is perfect that National Pumpkin Day is celebrated close to Halloween - since so many love to carve & decorate pumpkins for Halloween. Thanks for your visit.
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