Truly what a moment it is to celebrate pumpkins when the Halloween is right there at the corner. Pumpkins are the things which represents the festival of Halloween today so it's time to celebrate them now before the actual celebrations of Halloween.
Along with being a mascot for Halloween pumpkins have many other uses too and that's why they are annually celebrated on 26th October in the United States in the form of National Pumpkin Day.
National Pumpkin Day celebrates these noble squash’s, and the history and tradition behind them as well. It celebrates the importance of pumpkins in our life amd also how it has impacted the people culturally too with being associated with the festival of Halloween.
| Event | National Pumpkin Day |
|---|---|
| Date | October 26, 2022 |
| Day | Tuesday |
| Significance | When Halloween is almost around the brink, a day has been set aside to recognize and cherish pumpkins. |
| Observed by | United States |
National Pumpkin Day History:
Pumpkins are a member of the gourd family, which includes cucumbers, honeydew melons, cantaloupe, watermelons and zucchini. Most people don't actually realize that they are fruits and not vegetables. These plants are native to Central America and Mexico, but now they grow on all six liveable continents of our world. Their history in North America goes back 5,000 years ago as evidence shows that they were planted during the era by the Native Americans.
Pumpkins are indigenous to the Americas and hence they were introduced to the old world through the new world and that's why their introduction to our world happened very late actually. As it was discovered when Frenchman Jacques Cartier explored the St. Lawrence region of North America in the 1500s, where he reported finding what the French called "gros melons." The name was translated into English as "pompions," which has since evolved into the modern "pumpkin."
The practice of carving pumpkins for Halloween originated from an Irish myth about a man named "Stingy Jack". The turnip has traditionally been used in Ireland and Scotland at Halloween, but immigrants to North America used the native pumpkin instead, which are both readily available and much larger thus making them easier to carve than turnips. Not until 1837 does jack-o'-lantern appear as a term for a carved vegetable lantern, and the carved pumpkin lantern association with Halloween is recorded in 1866 for the first time.
In the United States, the carved pumpkin was first associated with the harvest season in general, long before it became an emblem of Halloween. In 1900, an article on Thanksgiving entertaining recommended a lit jack-o'-lantern as part of the festivities that encourage kids and families to join together to make their own jack-o'-lanterns. The Association of pumpkins with harvest time and pumpkin pie at Canadian and American Thanksgiving reinforced its iconic role for the culture of North America.
National Pumpkin Day Significance:
Pumpkins have several culinary uses. Most parts of the pumpkin are edible, including the fleshy shell, the seeds, the leaves, and the flowers. When ripe, the pumpkin can be boiled, steamed, or roasted. In its native North America, pumpkins are an important part of the traditional autumn harvest, eaten mashed and making its way into soups and purées. Often, it is made into pumpkin pie, various kinds of which are a traditional staple of the Canadian and American Thanksgiving holidays.
Pumpkins are a warm-weather crop that is usually planted in early July. The specific conditions necessary for growing pumpkins require that soil temperatures 8 centimetres (3 in) deep are at least 15.5 °C (60 °F) and that the soil holds water well. Pumpkin crops may suffer if there is a lack of water or because of cold temperatures (in this case, below 18 °C or 65 °F). Pumpkins are, however, rather hardy, and even if many leaves and portions of the vine are removed or damaged, the plant can quickly grow secondary vines to replace what was removed.
In the southwestern United States and Mexico, pumpkin and squash flowers are popular and widely available food items. They may be used to garnish dishes, or dredged in a batter then fried in oil. Pumpkins have been used as folk medicine by Native Americans to treat intestinal worms and urinary ailments, and this Native American remedy was adopted by American doctors in the early nineteenth century as an anthelmintic for the expulsion of worms.
Obviously how can we forget about their role in Halloween. As the Halloween festival is coming very soon so this makes us even more excited for knowing pumpkins. Today pumpkins have become synonymous with the festival of Halloween so it won't be wrong to say that it is an official mascot for Halloween festival. And it is not just about Halloween but pumpkins plays an important role in another major American festival of Thanksgiving where it is mostly served as a sweet called pumpkin pie.
National Pumpkin Day Celebrations:
Enjoy some traditional October pumpkin fun. Think of your favorite cartoon character, slogan, or image and have fun carving it into a pumpkin. Print out your design and then present your creativity through carving on a pumpkin. As the Halloween is also just few days away so this day will also allow to prepare you for the celebrations of Halloween. So you can make your Halloween decorations through pumpkins on this day only or you can plan about the designs before only.
Most of the time pumpkin pies are baked around American holidays, so use this opportunity to have a treat of delicious pumpkin pies on this occasion either you can order it or as a challenge you can also try to bake it yourself. Well if you think that pumpkin pies are for special occasion only then also no problem there are many pumpkin-based dishes so you can try them atleast.
You can also use this opportunity to learn more about our amazing pumpkins. So you can learn it through internet or you can also fo it practically by visiting a pumpkin farm yourself and this will also give you an idea about what goes behind the production of our amazing pumpkins so that you will be able to admire them even more. So definitely try to have that experience it will be unique and exciting for you.
Most Searched FAQs on National Pumpkin Day:
1. When is National Pumpkin Day celebrated?
National Pumpkin Day is annually celebrated on October 26th in US.
2. What are the benefits of eating pumpkin?
Pumpkin's nutrients and antioxidants may boost your immune system, protect your eyesight, lower your risk of certain cancers and promote heart and skin health.
3. What are the side effects of pumpkin?
Side effects from pumpkin products are rare, but might include stomach discomfort, diarrhea, and nausea. It might also cause itching, rash, and allergic reactions in some people.