Pumpkin Day

What the day is

Pumpkin Day is observed on October 26. It lands in the heart of pumpkin season, when patches, festivals and bakeries are in full swing, and it is an informal day with no documented founder. Its purpose is simple: enjoy the pumpkin, in whatever form you prefer.

A pumpkin is a type of winter squash, and it is a fruit in the botanical sense. It grows on a trailing vine and ripens in the fall, which is why it has become the symbol of the season in North America.

Origin and background

Pumpkins are native to North America. Seeds from squash relatives have been found in archaeological sites in Mexico, with the oldest evidence going back several thousand years. Native peoples grew them as one of the Three Sisters, along with corn and beans, and ate the flesh, roasted the seeds and dried strips of the squash for winter. The word comes from the Greek pepon, meaning a large melon, which passed through French and English into the form we know.

Today the pumpkin is a major crop. Illinois grows more of them than any other state, mostly for processing into canned pumpkin, which is the ingredient behind most pumpkin pie. Giant pumpkin growers, meanwhile, pursue a different goal, and record-weight pumpkins have topped well over a ton. The pumpkins grown for carving are a different variety from the smaller, sweeter ones bred for baking, so it pays to buy the right one for the job.

How to take part

• Bake something with pumpkin: a pie, muffins, bread or a cheesecake.
• Roast the seeds with a little oil and salt for about twenty minutes, until crisp.
• Visit a pumpkin patch and pick one, ideally with a firm stem and no soft spots.
• Make a savory dish with it, such as soup, curry or pasta.
• Carve one, or paint one if you would rather not use a knife.
• Compost the pumpkin afterward, or leave it out for wildlife once it starts to soften.