Happy National Pumpkin Day!
It's only appropriate that this day be in October, considering that this month also has Halloween, and pumpkins area big part of the holiday.
Pumpkins are the popular name for certain species of winter squash from the Cucurbita genus. Pumpkins are originally native to North America, mainly Mexico and the southern United States. They're actually one of the oldest known domesticated plants, believed to have been domesticated between 7,000 and 5,500 BC.
There are a couple of theories as to how the pumpkin got its name. One is that the word derives from an Ancient Greek word meaning 'melon'. The other is that it's derived from a word in the Massachusett language that means 'grows forth round'.
Pumpkins are one of the most popular crops in the United States. 1.1 million tons of pumpkins were produced in the country in 2020. And some farmers like to grow pumpkins big. Real big. The world record for biggest pumpkin was set by a horticulture teacher named Travis Gienger of Anoka, Minnesota. He grew a pumpkin that weighed 2,749 pounds. You can get a lot of pie out of that pumpkin. Mmmm, pumpkin pie...
Anyway, that's the pumpkin for you! With Halloween and Thanksgiving coming up, enjoy yourself some pumpkin pie!
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