The word pumpkin originates from the word pepon which is Greek for “large melon”. The French adapted this word to pompon, which the British changed to pumpion and later American colonists changed that to the word that is used today, pumpkin.
The term pumpkin has no agreed upon botanical or scientific meaning and is used interchangeably with “squash” and “winter squash” in some areas.
Although pumpkin, like other squash, are thought to have originated in North America; the oldest evidence, pumpkin-related seeds dating between 7000 and 5500 BC, was actually being found in Mexico.
As one of the most popular crops in the United States, 1.5 billion pounds (680,000,000 kilograms or 680,000 tonnes) of pumpkins are produced each year.
In the United States, pumpkins go hand in hand with the fall holidays of Halloween and Thanksgiving and they are commonly carved into decorative lanterns called jack-o’-lanterns for the Halloween season and pumpkin pies are commonly included in Thanksgiving meals.
The practice of decorating “jack-o’-lanterns” comes from an Irish folktale about a man named Stingy Jack. According to the story, Stingy Jack had tricked the devil and yet managed to refrain the devil from claiming his soul.
Soon after, Jack died. As the legend 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,” and then, simply “Jack O’Lantern.”
The Irish immigrants brought the tradition to America; discovered pumpkin as a new substitute and thus it became an integral part of Halloween festivities. 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’-lantern.
Information Extracted From:
- Pumpkin – Wikipedia
- Pumpkin Facts
- History of the Jack-O-Lantern
- Photo Source: “Pumpkins” by Serge Bertasius Photography
In another two days, it would be Halloween but I don’t really celebrate it. Nevertheless, I’ve always enjoyed watching parents dressing up their children for the ‘trick-or-treat’ and making the Jack-‘o-lanterns in Halloween related dramas or movies.
Quoting what Judy Gold said, “Halloween is an opportunity to be really creative.”
Got to know this song from my baby Sis and loved the tune immediately. I think the tune and the MTV is quite suitable for this Halloween related post so decided to share with all you lovely souls out there.
” If we see trouble as a friend instead of a foe,
we might be able to obtain a solution to every trouble we encountered,
since we are a friend who knows it and loves it just the same.”
Have a wonderful day ahead, always!
Till then,
Cheers & TTFN~ 😀
Symplestuff in Life 