The pumpkin is actually a fruit in the squash family. It grows in gourd form on a trailing vine. There are several different types of pumpkins. All pumpkins however are native to the western hemisphere and were one of the first foods brought back to Europe. The pumpkin can frequently be found in gardens in Europe to this day.
The part of the pumpkin that is eaten are the innards and they are typically served cooked. Some of the more common pumpkin recipes include pumpkin pie and pumpkin bread.
The reason why many pumpkins are orange is due to the large quantities of Vitamin A, which in the pumpkins would be lutein as well as both alpha- and beta-carotene
Pumpkins are also used for activities other than cooking.
This includes chucking and pumpkin carving.
Chucking is a competition in which teams create a mechanism for throwing a pumpkin as far as possible. This includes but is not limited to catapults, ballistas, and air cannons. Some pumpkins are in fact grown for the specific purpose of chucking. More specifically to increase the chance that they survive the endeavor.
Pumpkin carving has long been a popular activity in the United States. Another term for a pumpkin that has been carved is a Jack-O-Lantern.
Keene, New Hampshire held the world's record for the most Jack-O-Lanterns lit in one location at one time - until 2006 when the Boston Common, Boston, MA. lit the night sky and set a new world record.
The tradition of carving Jack-O-Lanterns originated from a Celtic tradition of hollowing out and placing a candle inside of turnips, beets, and rutabagas. They were then placed on windowsills and porches. This was done for the purpose of welcoming home the spirits of deceased ancestors as well as warding off evil spirits and a restless soul called by the name of Jack. Hence the name Jack-O-Lantern.
This tradition was brought over the United States by the Irish immigrants and the pumpkin was adapted to the tradition. Both the name Jack-O-Lantern and its affiliation with Halloween were first documented not in Ireland, Scotland, or England but in North America in the 1800s.
The traditional design in which to carve a pumpkin into a face, typically with crooked teeth may have begun in the last century, however during the end of the twentieth century it became increasingly popular to carve pumpkins with other designs from politicians to cartoon characters and anything else a person could imagine. The tradition of Halloween and carving Jack-O-Lanterns is largely of the western culture.
~ Megin K.
