26th October: Pumpkin Day

National Pumpkin Day recognizes a favored autumn decoration and food on October 26th. Pumpkin is used in a variety of recipes, competitions, and festivals. By October 26th, we’re in a frenzy of pumpkin obsession. We cannot wait for the big November holiday for pumpkin pie.  No siree, we need pumpkin everything! Bars, cookies, coffee, cheesecake, pasta, and oatmeal.  Pumpkin Chunkin’, pumpkin patches, festivals, bake-offs, and television specials. Let’s not forget jack-o-lantern carving, too! This fruit grabs American’s attention. As it should be. This squash is native to North America. The oldest evidence of pumpkin-related seeds dates back to somewhere between 7000 and 5500 BC to seeds found in Mexico. The word pumpkin originates from the word pepon, which means “large melon” in Greek. Within recent years, white pumpkins have become more popular in the United States. The United States produces 1.5 billion pounds of pumpkins, with Illinois producing more than any other state.