As the spooky season creeps around the corner, more and more porches fill with round, plump pumpkins. Their vibrant orange color contrasts with the gloomy, gray autumn skies. These cute and scary squashes have become a staple decoration for the fall months.
Pumpkins appear as soon as fall hits to celebrate the upcoming Halloween and Thanksgiving. Most people choose to display a variety of pumpkins during these months. But have you ever wondered how this tradition began?
The History of Pumpkins
Pumpkins are thought to have originated in North America about 9000 years ago, with the oldest pumpkin seeds found in Mexico, dated to around 7000-5550 B.C.E. Not long after, Native Americans discovered these squashes, where it became an important staple food along with corn and beans.
In the early 1600s when the British made landfall on the North American continent, they were introduced to pumpkins, which they cultivated as the English colonies formed. But it wasn’t always the seasonal treat it is today. According to Cindy Ott, a professor of History and Museum Studies at the University of Delaware, the pumpkin “was a food of last resort,” being grown for backup nutrition.
In the 1900s, the U.S. experienced a big expansion of industrial agriculture, and pumpkins became more of a decoration than a necessary crop.
Why Do We Use Pumpkins During Thanksgiving?
Pumpkin was served at the very first Thanksgiving, held between the Native Americans and Plymouth Colonists in New England, as a way to celebrate a successful harvest. These squashes represent fall and the changing of the seasons. They are strongly associated with the seasonal harvest, and over time, became an integral part of the modern Thanksgiving celebration.
Why Do We See Pumpkins During Halloween?
Jack-o’-lanterns come from an Irish myth about Stingy Jack, a greedy man who tricked the Devil to gain money. When Jack died, he was punished to roam the earth for eternity. To scare away Jack’s wandering spirit, people carved demonic faces in turnips and potatoes. When Irish immigrants moved to the US, they used pumpkins instead, thus creating the Jack-o’-lantern.
Jack-o’-lanterns became associated with Halloween when the folklore about Stingy Jack got incorporated into the Celtic Harvest festival, Samhain, where people wore disguises to hide from souls wandering around their homes. The traditions from Samhain and Stingy Jack together created the Halloween we know today, with costumes and Jack-o’-lanterns filling the streets.
The Many Types of Pumpkins
There are over 150 varieties of pumpkins grown around the world. They can be tiny or large, smooth or knobbly, tall or short, and can range from orange to green. Here are a few common pumpkins you will find this spooky season.
