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A little reason to celebrate

National Pumpkin Day

Food · Seasonal · October 26

A day for the pumpkin: the squash behind carved lanterns, roasted seeds, pies and soups, and a familiar sight on porches and in fields each fall.

National Pumpkin Day falls on Tuesday, October 26, 2027. That is 364 days away.

The pumpkin is a winter squash, a member of the gourd family with a hard rind, stringy pulp and a hollow full of flat seeds. Most people picture the big orange kind, but pumpkins also come in white, green, tan and blue-gray, some smooth and some warty.

They grow on long, sprawling vines that need room and warm weather, and they are harvested in the fall once the rind hardens. That timing is why pumpkins seem to appear everywhere at once, stacked by farm stands and lined up on front steps.

In the kitchen, the large carving types tend to be watery and stringy. Smaller sugar or pie pumpkins have denser, sweeter flesh that roasts well and purées smoothly for pie, bread, soup or risotto. The seeds can be rinsed, dried, tossed with a little oil and salt, and roasted until crisp. Pumpkin flesh is a good source of vitamin A, which is part of what gives it that deep orange color.

Carving is the other big tradition. A jack-o'-lantern starts with cutting a lid around the stem, scooping out the insides and cutting a face or pattern into the wall. A cut pumpkin softens within days, so many people carve close to when they want to show it off, or skip the knife and paint one instead.

The stem is the handle everyone reaches for, and it is also the weakest point. Lifting a pumpkin from underneath keeps the stem attached and the pumpkin lasting longer.

Ways to celebrate

• Roast the seeds from a pumpkin with a little salt.
• Bake a simple pumpkin bread or soup from a small pie pumpkin.
• Carve or paint a pumpkin for your front step.
• Look for unusual colored pumpkins at a local farm stand.
• Compost the pumpkin when it starts to soften.

Dates

All national days on October 26

Also on October 26

• National Mincemeat Day
• National Mule Day
• Worldwide Howl at the Moon Night

Categories: Food daysSeasonal days