Their origin comes from an Irish myth about Stingy Jack, who tricked the Devil for his own monetary gain. When Jack died, God didn’t allow him into heaven, and the Devil didn’t let him into hell, so they sentenced Jack to roam the earth for eternity.
Well, here we have 10 fast facts about pumpkins to prepare you for Halloween, enjoy!
1. The original Greek name for the pumpkin was pepon, which meant large melon. The Puritans changed this.
2. The pumpkin is a member of the cucurbit family, which are gourds, such as cucumbers and squashes.
3. In America, a carved Halloween pumpkin is known as a ‘Jack-o’-lantern’ and is used as a decoration. Many families join in the carving process.
4. They come in many shapes, sizes, and colors.
5. The heaviest pumpkin on record was in October 2012–it weighed 2009 pounds!
6. There are many types of pumpkin, the most common being: the Cinderella, the Too Many, the Fairytale, the Jarrahdale, and the Jack-be-Little.
7. As it has seeds, they class the pumpkins as fruit.
8. Turnips and swedes were originally carved at Halloween–not pumpkins. However, they have become a stable fixture of the Halloween holiday.
9. In America, pumpkin pie is a traditional Thanksgiving dish, but they can use it in many more recipes, such as lasagna, pasta, and soups.
10. We traditionally planted pumpkin seeds in greenhouses in April. When they grow for May, we moved them outside. When the colors change from green to orange, we can harvest them.
Pumpkins are the most famous Halloween time vegetable. I’m sure now after reading these facts that you’ll appreciate them more than ever.