Halloween Pumpkins

The Pumpkin & Halloween

The Foods of Halloween

World's largest pumpkin pie (left); pumpkin pie eating contest, USA, 1950's (right)

World's Largest Pumpkin Pie, Circleville, Ohio, USA
350 pounds, 5 feet in diameter, 80 lbs. cooked pumpkin,
36 pounds of sugar, 12 dozen eggs, 6 hours to bake

Halloween has gone from a minor American holiday with children dressing up in homemade costumes and tricking or treating their neighbors to a major commercial enterprise that is now practiced internationally and sometimes features elaborate adult partying.

Here's a brief history of Halloween.
As mentioned in the history, the first jack-o-lanterns were carved out of Irish turnips. Pumpkins and squash from the Americas were unknown to the Europeans prior to the 16th century.

Here are some sites that feature recipes for successful Halloween parties.

http://www.rexanne.com/hwn-food.html

Here's a recipe for pumpkin bisque soup:

http://www.virtualcities.com/ons/vt/r/vtr76013.htm

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Pumpkin Festivals

Scenes from Circleville, Ohio's Pumpkin Show

In the USA pumpkin festivals are a huge part of the pre-Halloween season.

Caro, Michigan's Pumpkin Festival

Australia's Pumpkin Festival is held in May, of course, the seasons are reversed.

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Giant Pumpkin Contests

pumpkin pushing

Here's a great site all about the pumpkin pumping, primping and pushing involved to get a winner.

Here are some links to
the really big pumpkin contests.

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Pumpkin Capitals

Morton, Illinois is one of many places claiming to be the "Pumpkin Capital of the USA, if not the world." Morton has more than just another pumpkin festival, the city produces 90% of the canned pumpkin puree for pumpkin pies.

Other "pumpkin capitals" are:

Anamosa, Iowa
Half Moon Bay, CA
Circleville, OH
Floydada, TX

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Pumpkin Carving

jackos

Keene, New Hampshire is a great place to see
fantastic jack-o-lanterns.

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Pumpkin Chuckin

punkinchunkin

Only in America, the homeland of the pumpkin, would they have thought up pumpkin throwing contests.

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