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Did You Know ?
Without a doubt the most recognizable symbol of Halloween is a pumpkin carved into a jack-o-lantern. To understand the origins of how pumpkin carving began and what it really means we must first take a look at the holiday itself. How long has Halloween been around? Have there always been pumpkins carved? Here are some answers!
For most of the general population it is known as Halloween and is a night for dressing up, telling ghost stories, having spooky parties, trick-or-treating and pumpkin carving. What most people don't know is that Halloween is actually based on an ancient Celtic holiday known as Samhain (pronounced "sow wan"), which means "summer's end." It was the end of the Celtic year, starting at sundown on October 31st and going through to sundown November 1st. It was a night to honor loved ones that had passed on since the veil between their realm and ours is at its thinnest on that night.
Celebrated for centuries by the Celts of old, Witches and many other nature-based religions, it is the most magical night of the year. It is the Witches' New Year, and the Last Harvest. Although the religious significance of it has passed for the general public, Halloween is a "magical" night for all!
On this magical night, glowing jack-o-lanterns, carved from turnips or gourds, were set on porches and in windows to welcome deceased loved ones, but also to act as protection against malevolent spirits. Burning lumps of coal were used inside as a source of light, later to be replaced by candles. When European settlers, particularly the Irish, arrived in America they found the native pumpkin to be larger, easier to carve and seemed the perfect choice for jack-o-lanterns. Halloween didn't really catch on big in this country until the late 1800's and has been celebrated in so many ways ever since!
Pumpkins are indigenous to the western hemisphere and were completely unknown in Europe before the time of Columbus. In 1584, the French explorer Jacques Cartier reported from the St. Lawrence region that he had found "gros melons", which was translated into English as "ponpions," or pumpkins. In fact, pumpkins have been grown in America for over 5,000 years. Native Americans called pumpkins "isquotm, or isquotersquash. " Did you know that pumpkins are not a vegetable - they are a fruit! Pumpkins, like gourds, and other varieties of squash are all members of the Cucurbitacae family, which also includes cucumbers, gherkins, and melons.
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Did you also know?
 That pumpkins are grown all over the world? Six of the seven continents can grow pumpkins - even in regions as far north as Alaska! Antarctica is the only continent where they won’t grow.
Pumpkins consist of 90% water and if you fill a pumpkin with milk and then bake it, you will have a pudding.
In early colonial times, pumpkins were used as an ingredient for the crust of pies, not the filling.
Pumpkins were once recommended for removing freckles and curing snakebites.
Native Americans flattened strips of pumpkins, dried them and made mats.
Native Americans used pumpkin seeds for food and medicine.
Pumpkin seeds help to reduce the risk of prostrate cancer.
A munchkin is really a variety of pumpkin.
Pumpkin ridges are called ribs.
The largest pumpkin ever grown weighed 1,469 pounds.
The world's largest pumpkin pie weighed 2,020 pounds and measured more than 12 feet! It took 5 hours to bake and produced over 3,000 slices!
Pumpkins are not just orange. You can find pumpkins that are green, yellow, red, white, tan and even blue!
Canned pumpkin, scooped into a plastic food storage container, will keep up to three months in the freezer.
There is an annual pumpkin- throwing competition called Punkin Chuckin'. It takes place in Morton, Illinois and the throwing is done by big mechanical throwers. They are Pumpkin Modulators that are like air cannons.
99% of all pumpkins are sold for decorations.
Pumpkin halves were supposedly used as guides for haircuts in colonial New Haven, Connecticut, giving rise to the nickname 'pumpkinhead.'
One of the first published recipes for pumpkin pie (Pompkin Pudding) was in Amelia Simmons’ 1796 cookbook, ‘American Cookery.’ This was the first cookbook to be written by an American and published in the United States.
When Howard Dill of Ontario, Canada, known as the Pumpkin King, sent one of his championship pumpkins to the U.S. for a competition, customs officials called drug agents, not believing that there could be a 616-pound pumpkin in the crate.
Sources
http://www.pumpkin-patch.com/facts.html
http://urbanext.illinois.edu/pumpkins/facts.html
http://www.foodreference.com/html/fpumpkin.html
http://www.journalbuddies.com/Holidays/Halloween/
Fun_Halloween_Facts.htm
http://www.pumpkincarving101.com/pumpkin_carving_history.html
http://www.pumpkinfresh.com/facts.htm
Brain Teaser
What word can be written forward, backward or upside down, and can still be read from left to right? (Find the Answer)
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