National Pumpkin Day is October 26. This unofficial holiday has murky origins, but as a staple of the fall holiday season, does it really matter who started the day?
National Pumpkin Day is Wednesday, October 26, 2022.
October 13, 2022, The Wicked Noodle informs readers about the beloved unofficial fall holiday.
National Pumpkin Day
As mentioned above, there is no clear indicator of how this observance got started. Most likely it was a food marketing agency or a PR campaign of some kind. And that makes it similar to other types of food-related holidays during October including the previously mentioned Pumpkin Spice Day, but also:
- National Pumpkin Seed Day — October 3
- National Pumpkin Cheesecake Day — October 21
- National Pumpkin Pie Day — December 25
Celebrating National Pumpkin Day
Since this is a very informal holiday, the most rewarding activities are the ones you create for yourself–and what better way to celebrate just a few days before Halloween than by carving a pumpkin?
For some, the bigger the pumpkin, the better. The large versions are great for carving but may not be so good for eating–if you plan to make pumpkin bread, pumpkin pie, or even pumpkin cheesecake to celebrate National Pumpkin Day, you may be better off using the flesh of a smaller, grown-to-eat variety rather than the carving type.
Some will enjoy the prep process of using fresh, not-canned pumpkin in their seasonal dishes but if you are pressed for time, it’s best to use the canned variety for consistency and speed.
There are many recipes calling for pumpkin; if you use canned, remember that in the store you’ll find cans with about 15 ounces of pumpkin puree or roughly two cups worth. A typical, average-sized pumpkin may also contain two cups worth of potential pumpkin puree.
If you want to compost a carved pumpkin or its innards after October ends, be sure to remove any non-pumpkin remainders such as candles or decorations, then you can chop it up and put it into a composter or in an isolated spot under a pile of leaves.
If you choose to use the pile of leaves method, be sure the pumpkin is well away from common areas as the decomposition process may be a bit pungent.
Pumpkin Varieties
According to the University of Illinois Extension, there are many different types of pumpkin to choose from. They include, but are definitely not limited to:
- Baby Bear
- Small Sugar or New England Pie (this is the traditional pumpkin pie pumpkin)
- Spooktacular
- Sugar Treat
- Winter Luxury
- Standard Orange
- Autumn Gold
- Bushkin
- Frosty
- Funny Face
- Harvest Moon
- Jack-o-Lantern
- Spirit
- Young’s Beauty
Pumpkin Day the Chè Lux Way
