The only thing better than having a pumpkin is having the opportunity to come to a pumpkin patch and choose your own, if there was ever a vegetable that symbolize he fall, it would have to be this guy.
Pumpkins, without a doubt, are in the American tradition especially when you consider the fact that they have been grown in Central America for seven to ten thousand years. We have the Indians to thank for introducing them to us. These are just really big winter squash, just like their cousins—the acorn and butternut.
The reason I call them winter squash is because they have tough skin which help them last through the winter and there is such an amazing range of shape and color. Whenever I see one of these, I am always reminded of one of my favorite holiday desert—pumpkin pie. But you know, the Jack O Lantern that puts the pumpkin on the map.
Carving one of these is actually an Irish tradition, but before the Irish came to America, they made their lanterns out of large turnips. But once they came to these shores, they found the pumpkin more festive. These days, Jack O Lantern seems to come in many different forms, both to invite trick or treaters and to scare the goers away.
There is no question that the Jack O Lantern is the symbol of Halloween and I am really glad that the pumpkin was adapted to this occasion. After all, I can’t imagine Lianas waiting for the Great Turnip from the turnip patch.
From the garden, I am Allen Smith.
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