How The Pumpkin Claimed Two of America’s Biggest Holidays

No thanksgiving feast would be complete without pumpkin pie.

No Halloween would be complete without a front yard decked with jack-o'-lanterns.

But the pumpkin had a rocky start to its popularity.

In this episode of Plant Connection, we follow the fascinating journey of the pumpkin, from overlooked and unfashionable to a beloved cultural icon of both Halloween and Thanksgiving.

We’ll trace its rise through folklore, food traditions, and the cookbook that changed everything.

The pumpkin wasn’t always loved, so how did it become the face of October and November?

Covered in this episode:

• The story of the world’s largest pumpkin.
• How pumpkins found their way into Halloween and Thanksgiving.
• How pumpkins and zucchinis look so different while being part of the same species.
• The origin story of the jack-o'-lantern (which used to be a turnip!).
• Avoiding the environmental impacts of pumpkin farming in October.
• How to grow pumpkins at home.
• And more…

If you enjoy this episode, please subscribe to Plant Connection on your favourite podcast platform so you don’t miss the next one.

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LISTEN

Plant Connection - https://plant-connection.captivate.fm 

Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/6ZDb9ovKXRTomKYnyqF8Rv 

Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/plant-connection/id1801774758 

CREDITS

Script - Jacob Ashton (https://jacobashton.net/)

Research - Adriana Gogolin

Produced by Claricast.