National Pumpkin Day
National Pumpkin Day
If you haven’t done your jack-o-lanterns for the season yet, there’s no better day than National Pumpkin Day on October 26th.
While you can eat certain parts of a Halloween pumpkin, especially the seeds, most edible pumpkin items come from pie pumpkins and other varieties that are more akin to squash than the gourds you’re used to displaying in the fall.
The first archeological evidence of pumpkins dates back as far as 7,000 BCE in Mexico, but the modern tradition of turning these hollow ground fruits into jack-o-lanterns didn’t begin until 1866 as an adaptation of the original Irish practice of carving turnips.
In addition to their decorative appeal, pumpkins also provide a number of beneficial nutrients when cooked in pies, bread, pasta, and any other pumpkin-filled dishes like copper, iron, and magnesium, and vitamins A, K, and E.
So no whether you bake a whole pie, roast some seeds, or just pick up a pumpkin spice latte from your local coffee shop, be sure to enjoy this fall classic on October 26th for National Pumpkin Day.
