IVORY WHITE PUMPKIN SHAPED CANDLE 6" Thanksgiving Halloween winter squash gourd

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Seller: sidewaysstairsco ✉️ (1,180) 100%, Location: Santa Ana, California, US, Ships to: US & many other countries, Item: 204419948502 IVORY WHITE PUMPKIN SHAPED CANDLE 6" Thanksgiving Halloween winter squash gourd.

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FOR SALE:

A farmhouse style, holiday(s)-themed, shaped candle

6.25" IVORY WHITE PUMPKIN SHAPED NOVELTY CANDLE

 

DETAILS:

A elegant pumpkin candle that's perfect for Fall holidays!

This off-white, cream colored pumpkin candle has a smooth appearance that gives it a wonderful mix of whimsical and farmhouse allure. The color of the pumpkin shaped candle can best be described as ivory white with the slightest underlayer hint of pale pink cream (the inside is pale pink, see photo #8). The shape of this novelty pumpkin candle is not truly realistic but if we had to describe it then is looks like a cross between a Super Moon pumpkin and a Baby Moon pumpkin. The peduncle, or stem, is dark green in color, much like the stem of a Baby Moon. The creamy ivory pumpkin candle is perfect for a distinguished Thanksgiving, Christmas (holiday), or even a white Halloween decor theme. Candle must be burned on proper holder as excessive dripping may occur due to shape.

Dimensions: The candle stands about 6-1/4" tall and has an approximate diameter of 4-1/4".

CONDITION:

Unused. The candle has never been lit/burned but it has acquired some storage wear like small dents and nicks. Please see photos.

To ensure safe delivery all items are always carefully packaged before shipping out.

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*ALL PHOTOS AND TEXT ARE INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY OF SIDEWAYS STAIRS CO. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.*

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"A pumpkin is a cultivar of winter squash that is round with smooth, slightly ribbed skin, and is most often deep yellow to orange in coloration.[1] The thick shell contains the edible seeds and pulp. The name is most commonly used for cultivars of Cucurbita pepo, but some cultivars of Cucurbita maxima, C. argyrosperma, and C. moschata with similar appearance are also sometimes called "pumpkins".[1] Native to North America (northeastern Mexico and the southern United States),[1] pumpkins are one of the oldest domesticated plants, having been used as early as 7,000 to 5,500 BC.[1] Pumpkins are widely grown for food, as well as for aesthetic and recreational purposes.[2] Pumpkin pie, for instance, is a traditional part of Thanksgiving meals in Canada and the United States, and pumpkins are frequently carved as jack-o'-lanterns for decoration around Halloween, although commercially canned pumpkin purée and pumpkin pie fillings are usually made from varieties of winter squash different from the ones used for jack-o'-lanterns.... Etymology and terminology According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the English word pumpkin derives from the Ancient Greek word πέπων (romanized pepon), meaning 'melon'.[3][4] Under this theory, the term transitioned through the Latin word peponem and the Middle French word pompon to the Early Modern English pompion, which was changed to pumpkin by 17th-century English colonists, shortly after encountering pumpkins upon their arrival in what is now the northeastern United States.[3] An alternate derivation for pumpkin is the Massachusett word pôhpukun, meaning 'grows forth round'.[5] This term would likely have been used by the Wampanoag people (who speak the Wôpanâak dialect of Massachusett) when introducing pumpkins to English Pilgrims at Plymouth Colony, located in present-day Massachusetts.[6] The English word squash is also derived from a Massachusett word, variously transcribed as askꝏtasquash,[7] ashk8tasqash, or, in the closely-related Narragansett language, askútasquash.[8] The term pumpkin has no agreed upon botanical or scientific meaning,[9] and is sometimes used interchangeably with "squash" or "winter squash".[1] In North America and the United Kingdom, pumpkin usually refers to only the round, orange varieties of winter squash, predominantly derived from Cucurbita pepo, while in New Zealand and Australian English, the term pumpkin generally refers to all winter squash.[10] Description Cross section of a pumpkin Pumpkins, like other squash, originated in northeastern Mexico and southern United States.[1] The oldest evidence is pumpkin fragments found in Mexico that are dated between 7,000 and 5,500 BC.[1] Pumpkin fruits are a type of botanical berry known as a pepo.[1][11] Traditional C. pepo pumpkins generally weigh between 3 and 8 kilograms (6 and 18 lb), though the largest cultivars (of the species C. maxima) regularly reach weights of over 34 kg (75 lb).[12] The color of pumpkins derives from orange carotenoid pigments, including beta-cryptoxanthin, alpha and beta carotene, all of which are provitamin A compounds converted to vitamin A in the body.[13] Taxonomy All pumpkins are winter squash, mature fruit of certain species in the genus Cucurbita. Characteristics commonly used to define "pumpkin" include smooth and slightly ribbed skin,[14] and deep yellow to orange color.[14] Circa 2005, white pumpkins had become increasingly popular in the United States.[15] Other colors, including dark green (as with some oilseed pumpkins), also exist. The traditional American pumpkin used for jack-o-lanterns is the Connecticut field variety.[2][16][17][18] Giant pumpkins are large squash with a pumpkin-like appearance that grow to exceptional size, with the largest exceeding a tonne in mass.[19][20] Most are varieties of Cucurbita maxima, and were developed through the efforts of botanical societies and enthusiast farmers.[19] Production Pumpkin production – 2020 (includes squash and gourds) Country     millions of tonnes  China     7.4  India     5.1  Ukraine     1.3  Russia     1.1  United States     1.1  Spain     0.8 World     28.0 Source: FAOSTAT of the United Nations[21] In 2020, world production of pumpkins (including squash and gourds) was 28 million tonnes, with China accounting for 27% of the total. Ukraine and Russia each produced about one million tonnes.[21] In the United States A pumpkin patch in Winchester, Oregon As one of the most popular crops in the United States, in 2017 over 680 million kilograms (1.5 billion pounds) of pumpkins were produced.[22] The top pumpkin-producing states include Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and California.[2] Pumpkin is the state squash of Texas.[23] According to the Illinois Department of Agriculture, 95% of the U.S. crop intended for processing is grown in Illinois.[24] And 41% of the overall pumpkin crop for all uses originates in the state, more than five times the nearest competitor (California, whose pumpkin industry is centered in the San Joaquin Valley), and the majority of that comes from five counties in the central part of the state.[25] Nestlé, operating under the brand name Libby's, produces 85% of the processed pumpkin in the United States, at their plant in Morton, Illinois. In the fall of 2009, rain in Illinois devastated the Nestlé crop, which, combined with a relatively weak 2008 crop depleting that year's reserves, resulted in a shortage affecting the entire country during the Thanksgiving holiday season.[26] Another shortage, somewhat less severe, affected the 2015 crop.[27][28] The pumpkin crop grown in the western United States, which constitutes approximately 3–4% of the national crop, is primarily for the organic market.[29] Terry County, Texas, has a substantial pumpkin industry, centered largely on miniature pumpkins.[25] Pumpkins are a warm-weather crop that is usually planted in early July. The specific conditions necessary for growing pumpkins require that soil temperatures 8 centimetres (3 in) deep are at least 15.5 °C (60 °F) and that the soil holds water well. Pumpkin crops may suffer if there is a lack of water or because of cold temperatures (in this case, below 18 °C or 65 °F). Soil that is sandy with poor water retention or poorly drained soils that become waterlogged after heavy rain is detrimental. Pumpkins are, however, rather hardy, and even if many leaves and portions of the vine are removed or damaged, the plant can quickly grow secondary vines to replace what was removed.[22] Pumpkins produce both a male and female flower, with fertilization usually performed by bees.[22] In America, pumpkins have historically been pollinated by the native squash bee, Peponapis pruinosa, but that bee has declined, probably partly due to pesticide (imidacloprid) sensitivity.[30] Ground-based bees, such as squash bees and the eastern bumblebee, are better suited to manage the larger pollen particles that pumpkins create,[31][32] but today most commercial plantings are pollinated by hives of honeybees, which also allows the production and sale of honey that the bees produce from the pumpkin pollen. One hive per acre (0.4 hectares, or five hives per 2 hectares) is recommended by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. If there are inadequate bees for pollination, gardeners may have to hand pollinate. Inadequately pollinated pumpkins usually start growing but fail to develop. Nutrition †Percentages are roughly approximated using US recommendations for adults. We ask you, humbly: don't scroll away. Hi. Sorry to interrupt again, but this Friday we humbly ask you to support Wikipedia. This isn’t the first time we’ve asked recently, but only 2% of readers give. All we ask is $2.75, or what you can afford, to keep Wikipedia and its sister projects thriving. If Wikipedia has given you $2.75 worth of knowledge this year, take a minute to donate. — The Wikimedia Foundation     Give $2.75 In a 100-gram (3.5 oz) amount, raw pumpkin provides 110 kilojoules (26 kilocalories) of food energy and is an excellent source (20% or more the Daily Value, DV) of provitamin A beta-carotene and vitamin A (53% DV) (table). Vitamin C is present in moderate content (11% DV), but no other nutrients are in significant amounts (less than 10% DV, table). Pumpkin is 92% water, 6.5% carbohydrate, 0.1% fat and 1% protein (table). Uses Cooking Pumpkin pie is a popular way of preparing pumpkin. Pumpkins have several culinary uses. Most parts of the pumpkin are edible, including the fleshy shell, the seeds, the leaves, and the flowers. In the United States and Canada, pumpkin is a popular Halloween and Thanksgiving staple.[33] Pumpkin purée is sometimes prepared and frozen for later use.[34] When ripe, the pumpkin can be boiled, steamed, or roasted. In its native North America, pumpkins are an important part of the traditional autumn harvest, eaten mashed[35] and making its way into soups and purées. Often, it is made into pumpkin pie, various kinds of which are a traditional staple of the Canadian and American Thanksgiving holidays. In Canada, Mexico, the United States, Europe and China, the seeds are often roasted and eaten as a snack. Pumpkins that are still small and green may be eaten in the same way as summer squash or zucchini. In the Middle East, pumpkin is used for sweet dishes; a well-known sweet delicacy is called halawa yaqtin. In the Indian subcontinent, pumpkin is cooked with butter, sugar, and spices in a dish called kadu ka halwa. Pumpkin is used to make sambar in Udupi cuisine. In Guangxi province, China, the leaves of the pumpkin plant are consumed as a cooked vegetable or in soups. In Australia and New Zealand, pumpkin is often roasted in conjunction with other vegetables. In Japan, small pumpkins are served in savory dishes, including tempura. In Myanmar, pumpkins are used in both cooking and desserts (candied). The seeds are a popular sunflower seed substitute. In Thailand, small pumpkins are steamed with custard inside and served as a dessert. In Vietnam, pumpkins are commonly cooked in soups with pork or shrimp. In Italy, it can be used with cheeses as a savory stuffing for ravioli. Also, pumpkin can be used to flavor both alcoholic and nonalcoholic beverages. In the southwestern United States and Mexico, pumpkin and squash flowers are a popular and widely available food item. They may be used to garnish dishes, or dredged in a batter then fried in oil. Pumpkin leaves are a popular vegetable in the western and central regions of Kenya; they are called seveve, and are an ingredient of mukimo,[36] respectively, whereas the pumpkin itself is usually boiled or steamed. The seeds are popular with children who roast them on a pan before eating them. Pumpkin leaves are also eaten in Zambia, where they are called chibwabwa and are boiled and cooked with groundnut paste as a side dish.[37] Leaves Pumpkin leaf kimchi Pumpkin leaves, usually of C. moschata varieties, are eaten as a vegetable in Korean cuisine. Seeds Main article: Pumpkin seed Pumpkin seeds (matured) Pumpkin seeds, also known as pepitas, are edible and nutrient-rich. They are about 1.5 cm (0.5 in) long, flat, asymmetrically oval, light green in color and usually covered by a white husk, although some pumpkin varieties produce seeds without them. Pumpkin seeds are a popular snack that can be found hulled or semi-hulled at many grocery stores. Per ounce serving, pumpkin seeds are a good source of protein, magnesium, copper and zinc.[38] Pumpkin seed oil Pumpkin seed oil, a thick oil pressed from roasted pumpkin seeds, appears red or green in color depending on the oil layer thickness, container properties, and hue shift of the observer's vision.[39][40] When used for cooking or as a salad dressing, pumpkin seed oil is generally mixed with other oils because of its robust flavor.[41] Pumpkin seed oil contains fatty acids, such as oleic acid and alpha-linolenic acid.[42] Other uses Pumpkins have been used as folk medicine by Native Americans to treat intestinal worms and urinary ailments, and this Native American remedy was adopted by American doctors in the early nineteenth century as an anthelmintic for the expulsion of worms.[43][qualify evidence] In Germany and southeastern Europe, seeds of C. pepo were also used as folk remedies to treat irritable bladder and benign prostatic hyperplasia.[44][45][qualify evidence] In China, C. moschata seeds were also used in traditional Chinese medicine for the treatment of the parasitic disease schistosomiasis[46] and for the expulsion of tape worms.[47][qualify evidence]. Pumpkin seed meal (C. moschata) represents a rich source of nutrients for poultry feeding with significant improvements in eggs for human consumption.[48] Culture Halloween A pumpkin carved into a jack-o'-lantern for Halloween Pumpkins are commonly carved into decorative lanterns called jack-o'-lanterns for the Halloween season. Traditionally Britain and Ireland would carve lanterns from vegetables, particularly the turnip, mangelwurzel, or swede,[49]. They continue to be popular choices today as carved lanterns in Scotland and Northern Ireland, although the British purchased a million pumpkins for Halloween in 2004.[50] The practice of carving pumpkins for Halloween originated from an Irish myth about a man named "Stingy Jack".[2] The turnip has traditionally been used in Ireland and Scotland at Halloween,[51] but immigrants to North America used the native pumpkin, which are both readily available and much larger – making them easier to carve than turnips.[51] Not until 1837 does jack-o'-lantern appear as a term for a carved vegetable lantern,[52] and the carved pumpkin lantern association with Halloween is recorded in 1866.[53] In the United States, the carved pumpkin was first associated with the harvest season in general, long before it became an emblem of Halloween.[54] In 1900, an article on Thanksgiving entertaining recommended a lit jack-o'-lantern as part of the festivities that encourage kids and families to join together to make their own jack-o'-lanterns.[54] Association of pumpkins with harvest time and pumpkin pie at Canadian and American Thanksgiving reinforce its iconic role. Starbucks turned this association into marketing with its pumpkin spice latte, introduced in 2003.[55] This has led to a notable trend in pumpkin and spice flavored food products in North America.[56] This is despite the fact that North Americans rarely buy whole pumpkins to eat other than when carving jack-o'-lanterns. Illinois farmer Sarah Frey is called "the Pumpkin Queen of America" and sells around five million pumpkins annually, predominantly for use as lanterns.[57][58] Chunking Pumpkin chunking is a competitive activity in which teams build various mechanical devices designed to throw a pumpkin as far as possible. Catapults, trebuchets, ballistas and air cannons are the most common mechanisms.[citation needed] Pumpkin festivals and competitions Giant pumpkins Growers of giant pumpkins often compete to grow the most massive pumpkins. Festivals may be dedicated to the pumpkin and these competitions. In the United States, the town of Half Moon Bay, California, holds an annual Art and Pumpkin Festival, including the World Champion Pumpkin Weigh-Off.[59] The record for the world's heaviest pumpkin, 1,226 kg (2,703 lb), was established in Italy in 2021.[20] Folklore and fiction There is a connection in folklore and popular culture between pumpkins and the supernatural, such as:     The custom of carving jack-o-lanterns from pumpkins derives from folklore about a lost soul wandering the earth.     In the fairy tale Cinderella, the fairy godmother turns a pumpkin into a carriage for the title character, but at midnight it reverts to a pumpkin.     In some adaptations of Washington Irving's ghost story The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, the headless horseman is said to use a pumpkin as a substitute head. In most folklore the carved pumpkin is meant to scare away evil spirits on All Hallows' Eve (that is, Halloween), when the dead were purported to walk the earth. " (wikipedia.org) "The definition of “hooligan” offered to us by Merriam-Webster is “a usually young man who engages in rowdy behavior.” In this case, however, the hooligan we’ll be looking at is about four ounces in weight, likes to wear stripes, and usually can only be spotted during the autumn season. Hooligan pumpkins That’s right: this elusive little thing is known as the Hooligan Pumpkin, and if you’re hoping to get your hands on one, you’ve come to the right place! Read on to learn everything you need to know about the Hooligan Pumpkin. Appearance Hooligan The Hooligan is a notoriously tiny pumpkin, so you won’t find it being entered in any pumpkin-growing contests! These little guys are only about a quarter-pound in weight and about four inches in diameter, so while they’re the perfect petite addition to any decorative cornucopia, they’re really not the best choice if you’re looking to wow the neighborhood with your jack-o-lanterns this year. One reason why they may have been given the mantle of “hooligan” is their riotous coloring—rather than sticking to the plain orange coloration of most pumpkins, these showy fruits sport mottled flesh in shades of bright orange and pale yellow or white. While there are definitely smatterings of color throughout this pumpkin’s flesh, there’s also a clearly striped pattern that goes vertically from the pumpkin’s stem to its base. If you’re looking for a neutral pumpkin to lend some elegance and simplicity to your porch this year, these pumpkins aren’t the best choice. But if you’re looking to add a splash of wild pigment to your décor, have at it! Taste Hooligan Despite their tiny size and not being known as a food pumpkin, the Hooligan is edible, and you’ll be happy to learn that its flavor is utterly contrary to its name. Those who have tasted this fruit describe its taste as richly sweet with a hint of the nuttiness expected from the tastes of many other pumpkin and squash varieties. Because of this sweetness, it may not be the best choice for pumpkin dishes that lean on the savory side, so you might want to look elsewhere for those recipes. But there’s hardly a lack of pumpkin recipes that will benefit from this fruit’s saccharine flavor, so don’t count it out when planning out your autumn or holiday menus! Uses for the Hooligan Pumpkin Hooligan Pumpkins Eating As mentioned previously, these pumpkins are a great choice for all kinds of recipes. Though miniature pumpkins aren’t always thought of as the best pumpkins for cooking and baking (and their size means you’ll need to buy more of them to get your desired amount of pumpkin in most cases), the melting-in-the-mouth sweetness of these pumpkins cannot be ignored. So while you may be reticent to spend the extra cash to get enough of these pumpkins for your favorite recipes, believe me, that first taste will make it all worth it! Halloween Décor Of course, there’s the classic and traditional expectation for pumpkin usage as well: Halloween decorations! And with their wild coloration and ability to vivify your porch without taking up too much space, Hooligan pumpkins make a great addition to any spooky season display. Of course, you might not be able to make looming jack-o-lanterns out of them, but you can always make some miniature friends to keep your bigger pumpkins company—or, if you’re looking to have a fall-themed look rather than a Halloween one, these will simply help add a nice splash of unique color amongst the other pieces of autumn-themed décor on the inside or outside of your home. These petite pumpkins also make for great starter pumpkins for little trick-or-treaters. If you have children who aren’t quite far enough along yet to wield some carving tools, mini pumpkins are a great way to get them involved without any carving required! Just purchase some paints and some brushes, maybe some stencils if you want to go all-out, and let your kids go to town. Painted pumpkins are a great addition to any Halloween décor ensemble, and the best part? No pumpkin guts to clean up or sour smell to put up with! Just make sure you either purchase washable paint, or have your kids wear something you don’t mind getting stained. This process is sure to get a bit messy! Thanksgiving Décor Of course, Halloween isn’t the only autumn occasion to look forward to! Pumpkins have just as much stake in Thanksgiving as they do Halloween, and they’re a perfectly common choice for Thanksgiving table décor. You can use them as centerpiece additions, accent pieces, and more! For instance, mini pumpkins great choice if you’re looking to hollow out pumpkins as candle holders. When is the Hooligan Pumpkin in season? Hooligan The season for harvesting the Hooligan Pumpkin depends on when you plant them. They take about 95 days for the fruit to reach maturity, and depending on when the final frost in your area is (check your hardiness zone to see when the best planting season is for your area!), your pumpkins will need to be planted once they’re out of frost danger. Of course, if you’re looking to harvest later in the year, you’ll want to time your planting accordingly—ideally, you’ll want to be harvesting these pumpkins sometime between September and November. You don’t want your pumpkins going bad before you can use them during the intended season! Where is the Hooligan Pumpkin Grown? Hooligan Pumpkins Pumpkins aren’t really a picky plant, and you can find them being grown all over the US! You’ll want to make sure you pay attention to when your area receives its final frost, but you should be able to grow the Hooligan pumpkin just fine no matter where you live. The only exception to this rule is the fact that pumpkins can be vulnerable to certain diseases when overexposed to moisture; they’ve been known to contract a disease called powdery mildew if they’re watered too heavily, whether by…well, weather, or by their planter! If you live in an area with a considerable amount of rainfall or heavy humidity, one option is to treat your pumpkins with fungicide to prevent the formation of this mildew. But if you live in a dryer area, you shouldn’t have to worry too much about this!" (minnetonkaorchards.com) " All About The Casperita Pumpkin BOO! If you’re a person who scares easily, this ghostly pumpkin may not be the best choice for you! The Casperita pumpkin is so named for a reason, and if you’re looking to switch up the colors in your Halloween décor (or you want to use them for some fall wedding decor!), this haunt-worthy little pumpkin is perfect for you. White pumpkin, resembles the Casperita Pumpkin Read on to learn everything you need to know about the Casperita Pumpkin! Appearance White pumpkin resembling a Casperita The Casperita pumpkin is generally considered a “miniature” pumpkin, as it only grows to be a little heavier than a pound. Its unintimidating size and bright white coloration, paired with its name, will likely ring bells for fans of a certain friendly ghost. These stout, round fruits will make aesthetically pleasing additions to any fall arrangement, and the best news? You won’t need to haul them around in a wagon to get them home! While they’ll serve you best as a decoration rather than a snack, they are edible. Let’s talk about the taste of this pumpkin. Taste Acorn Squash According to most people who have enjoyed the Casperita pumpkin, the taste can be compared to the flavor of acorn squash, another fall fruit, though this one is better for eating than decoration. It can be pretty if arranged properly, but acorn squash’s dark green/mottled orange coloration and lumpy shape can make for a slightly irregular arrangement. This means that when eating the Casperita pumpkin, you can expect a mild flavor that leans on the buttery side, and it’s a bit sweeter than other edible pumpkins. This makes it perfect for recipes you would normally use acorn squash for. Uses for the Casperita Pumpkin White pumpkins resembling Casperitas Eating As mentioned before, you can eat the Casperita! If you’re looking for a more unique replacement for acorn squash, the Casperita’s a great choice. You can roast and stuff a Casperita, bake it, or turn it into a soup. If you really want to have something unique to offer this holiday season, you can take the plunge and use the Casperita in a pie; while its flavor might be a bit strange for a traditional pumpkin pie, you could test it out on a squash pie recipe and see what happens. Halloween Décor The ghostly color and small size of this pumpkin make it perfect for décor during any fall month, but especially the Halloween season, where it will stick out brilliantly as dusk falls, the perfect eye-catching pumpkin to draw trick-or-treaters to your door! If you want to get ambitious about it, you can even carve fun patterns or jack-o-lantern faces into it to really sell the scare factor. These unique pumpkins are sure to make you the envy of the neighborhood on Halloween night. Wedding Décor Of course, there are more romantic uses for the Casperita, too! If you’re having an autumn wedding and want to take advantage of pumpkin-themed décor without adding too much orange to your color palette, or you’re simply having a more traditional affair, the Casperita is the perfect choice to add some harvest season flair to your wedding day. You can put battery-powered candles inside and cut out designs, words, or even just simple holes in the pumpkins to add some nice lighting to the reception space. If you like, you could even use them as part of your centerpieces. Thanks to their neutral color, you should be able to pair them up with any wedding color scheme your heart desires. Winter Decor Of course, these pumpkins aren’t strictly meant for the fall season! You can absolutely take advantage of these pretty, snow-white pumpkins for a bit of winter elegance. You can set them up on your fireplace mantel with some garland and twinkling lights, set them up on your porch in the company of a snowman or two, or even use them to create a holiday centerpiece on your dining room table. No matter which holiday or holidays you celebrate during the winter season, you can certainly utilize the Casperita pumpkin to brighten up your décor! When is the Casperita Pumpkin in season? White pumpkin resembling a Casperita If you plan to grow Casperita pumpkins from seeds, you need to make sure you wait to plant until after the final frost in your area. This will vary according to where you live, so be sure to make sure you look up your hardiness zone before you plant! Casperitas grow quickly for pumpkins, reaching maturity about 75 days after planting (most pumpkins take between three to four months!). Depending on your hardiness zone and the timing of your planting, this will see you harvesting these pumpkins around the beginning of September or October. Make sure you do the math to ensure you don’t plant too early or too late to use the pumpkins during your desired season! Where is the Casperita Pumpkin Grown? White pumpkins resembling the Casperita pumpkin The Casperita can be grown all over the US! They’re not terribly picky pumpkins and can thrive in most places. They’re considered high-yield, which means each plant produces a high number of pumpkins; Casperita plants each produce about 15-20 pumpkins, so plant accordingly or you might end up with far too many of these little guys on your hands. You can purchase Casperita seeds from many retailers, but I recommend purchasing from a reputable source such as Hoss Tools! They’re one of my favorite and most trusted sources for purchasing seeds. Casperita Pumpkin Recipes Pumpkin Soup As mentioned previously, there are numerous recipes you can use Casperita in. You can leave them whole and make baked mini pumpkins, slice them and replace squash for pumpkin in this roasted stuffed squash recipe, or go full-fall and make a hearty kadu pumpkin stew! While this pumpkin might not be the first your mind goes to when it comes to cooking and baking, it shouldn’t be counted out, especially considering the high yield of its plants. If you’re growing the Casperitas yourself rather than purchasing them, you very easily could end up with an abundance of these pumpkins on your hands, and you’re going to want to have some recipes on hand to put them to good use! The alternative is ending up with a trash can full of rotting pumpkins—or getting into composting, if you’re looking for a way to put the fruits of your labor back into your garden, literally! Final Thoughts on the Casperita Pumpkin Now you know everything you need to know about the Casperita pumpkin! Whether you’re looking to decorate, prepare some delicious fall treats, or grow these elegant and beautiful fruits yourself, you’re now armed with all the knowledge you need to fall in love with the Casperita. Have fun letting Casperita the friendly pumpkin haunt your porch this fall! Excited for more pumpkin content? Keep learning all about pumpkin plants to become an expert on pumpkin planting, growing, harvesting, cooking, and more!" (minnetonkaorchards.com) "Shabby chic is a style of interior design where furniture and furnishings are either chosen for their appearance of age and signs of wear and tear or where new items are distressed to achieve the appearance of an antique. At the same time, a soft, opulent, yet cottage-style decor, often with an affected feel is emphasized to differentiate it from genuine period decor.... Description A dresser with a distressed finish and mismatched drawer knobs, in Shabby chic style Shabby chic items are often heavily painted through the years, with many layers showing through obviously time-worn areas. The style is imitated in faux painting using glaze or by painting then rubbing and sanding away the top coat to show the wood or base coats, known as "distressing" the finish of the furniture. Furniture pieces that are not genuine antiques or vintage items are usually selected for their resemblance to older furniture styles, and may be reproduction furniture with a distressed finish. Elaborate furniture appliques depicting flower swags and garlands, cherubs, and other motifs may be added. Fabrics tend to be cottons and linens, with linen being particularly popular, inspired by old French linens. Pure whites, as well as ecrus and worn or bleached out pastel colors are favorites. Fabric is often stained with tea to give it the look of old fabric. Bleached and faded are terms often applied to the style. Vintage floral patterns with pastel colors, cotton ticking patterns, or linen in earth tones, are all typical of shabby chic style. Antique pieces such as pie safes and jelly cupboards are popular in shabby chic décor.[1] Besides white, the shabby chic style also includes soft neutral colors such as sky blue, rose pink and beige tones. Hints from French-style interior design often show in shabby chic homes such as Rococo-style lighting fixtures, furniture or wall paneling. The shabby chic aesthetic also expands to the garden, with the same design principles of using timeworn garden furniture and feminine accessories. Rose gardens are popular with the shabby chic style of décor. Other popular décor items are pillows made of vintage barkcloth fabric, vintage linens, chenille bedspreads, vintage chandeliers, jute, and anything with roses in the design. Newsweek used the term to describe avant-garde fashion designer Martin Margiela's 1992 fall fashion show, which took place in a Salvation Army furniture store and featured models in "wrinkled jackets, baggy-kneed pants and coats with inner linings hanging down from unfinished hems."[2] Decorators consider shabby chic a soft, relaxed, romantic style that looks comfortable and inviting, and is usually associated as feminine. Masculine shabby chic would be "rustic", with deeper or richer colors, Rustic furniture using unfinished wood, denim, burlap, sailcloth and homespun.[3] Variants of shabby chic style include:     Cottage chic     Beach cottage chic     French country     Gustavian (Swedish) History Sliding pantry door installed in a suburban home. The style started in Great Britain and evokes the type of decoration found in large country houses where there are worn and faded old chintz sofas and curtains, old paintwork and unassuming "good" taste. The end result of shabby chic is to achieve an elegant overall effect, as opposed to the sentimentally cute Pop-Victorian. Recycling old furniture and fabrics is an important aspect of the look and was especially popular with modern Bohemians and artisans that made up a sidelined counter-culture movement during the 1980s when expensive quality decor became very fashionable with the upper middle classes. The original shabby chic interiors were usually considered in themselves works of art. The early forms of shabby chic were rather grand but the style has evolved taking inspiration from many forms of decoration. These range from 18th century Swedish painted decoration, the French Chateau as well as the American Shakers where simplicity and plainness was essential. Rachel Ashwell founded a furniture chain called Shabby Chic, and in 1996, published a book around the aesthetic she described as "the aura of old money, cushy comfort, and crafted indifference."[4] An offshoot of shabby chic is a trend towards 'relicing' of guitars and bass guitars to create a 'roadworn' appearance, from mild wear to extreme abuses almost never seen in genuine vintage instruments.[5] Origin of term The phrase was used descriptively through the 20th century for both fashion and décor,[6][7][8][9] and was popularized as an interior decorating style by Min Hogg in The World of Interiors magazine in the 1980s.[citation needed] It became popular in the United States in the 1990s with a certain eclectic surge of decorating styles with paints and effects, notably in metropolitan cultural centers on the West Coast of America, such as Los Angeles and San Francisco, with heavy influences from Mediterranean cultures such as Provence, Tuscany, and Greece." (wikipedia.org) "Rustic Modern or rustic chic is a style of interior design that uses of historical period room installations or furniture within a more modern overall room design.... Use of the term "Rustic Modern" in the 20th century Perhaps the first use of the term "Rustic Modern" in popular culture came in the press following the burial of movie star Marilyn Monroe. On August 8, 1962, United Press International published a release out of West Los Angeles regarding the services for the actress that stated, "thousands of spectators were expected to throng the area around the small 'rustic modern' chapel and mausoleum where the 36-year-old-actress will be entombed."[1] In 2000 author Ali Hanan released a book entitled Modern Rustic: Natural Ideas for a Contemporary Lifestyle on the subject of the method of interior design in which he wrote that "creating the rustic modern look is an organic process that takes time and commitment. Some decorative touches ... may take some effort tracking down, but the end result is timeless".[2] Reception in the 21st century The concept of Rustic Modern interior design received increased attention after 2000, especially in the State of California.[3] This incarnation of the design method includes design elements alternatively known as "kitsch" that represent eras of design in the 20th century such as chalkboards or twig racks alongside modern conveniences like reduced energy lighting and other state-of-the-art design elements.[3] Between 2011 and 2012 the trend took off, particularly in the San Diego area, where many commercial establishments such as bars and restaurants have opted to redesign their properties according to the design style.[4] This particular incarnation has been described by Kitchens Magazine as composed of "earth tones and light weight and/or sustainably harvested woods" that imbue the idea that home owners do not "take themselves too seriously".[5] The style trend began to spread outside of the California region and into the rest of the United States during the 2011-12 period,[6] a movement most closely linked to the San Diego design firm Jackson Design & Remodeling—who won a 2011 American Society of Interior Designers Design Excellence Award for its work within the design method.[7] The design method is used for both the creation of room design in new homes and the restoration of older homes in an effort to keep their original charm while updating their utility for modern families." (wikipedia.org) "Benincasa hispida, the wax gourd,[2][3] also called ash gourd,[4] white gourd, winter gourd, tallow gourd, ash pumpkin,[4] Chinese preserving melon[4] and (Alu) Puhul, is a vine grown for its very large fruit, eaten as a vegetable when mature. It is the only member of the genus Benincasa. The fruit is covered in a fuzzy coating of fine hairs when young. The immature melon has thick white flesh that tastes sweet. By maturity, the fruit loses its hairs and develops a waxy coating, giving rise to the name wax gourd. The wax coating helps to give the fruit a long shelf life of up to a year.[5] The melon may grow as large as 80 cm in length. It has yellow flowers and broad leaves.[6] It is native to South and Southeast Asia. The wax gourd is widely grown throughout Asia,[7] including Java and Japan,[8] the places where it is thought to have originated.[6] One variety of the plant, called chi qua (Benincasa hispida var. chieh-qua), is commonly used in Asian cuisine.... Etymology The name "winter melon" that is sometimes given to this plant is based on the Chinese name dōngguā (冬瓜); however, the character 瓜 (guā) can also mean “gourd” or “squash.”[10] It is likely that the name “melon” is given because this gourd is sometimes candied or made into a sweet tea. Cultivation It is grown in well-drained loam and sandy soils in warm, mild climates, and will not tolerate frosts. It is grown in riverbeds or furrows, and needs constant irrigation during the growing season.[6] Uses The wax gourd can be stored for many months, much like winter squash. Ash gourds of the Indian subcontinent have a white coating with a rough texture (hence the name ash gourd). Southeast Asian varieties have a smooth waxy texture. It is one of the few vegetables available during winter in areas of deciduous vegetation. In India, the wax gourd is recognized for its medicinal properties in the Ayurvedic system of medicine.[8] It also has significance in spiritual traditions of India and Yoga, where it is identified as a great source of prana.[11] Winter melon plant in Cambodia In Cambodia, it is known as tralach (Khmer: ត្រឡាច), and used in soup and stews in Cambodian cuisine. It is commonly used to make samlor tralach, which is winter gourd and pork soup, or stuffed pork in the gourd. In Chinese cuisine, the gourds are used in stir fries or combined with pork or pork/beef bones to make winter gourd soup, often served in the scooped out gourd, carved by scraping off the waxy coating. It is also chopped and candied[12][unreliable source?] as wintermelon candy (dōng guā táng), commonly eaten at New Year festivals, or as filling for Sweetheart cake (lǎopó bǐng). It has also been used as the base filling in Chinese and Taiwanese mooncakes for the Moon Festival. In Vietnamese cuisine, it is called bí đao, and is usually used to make soup or stew.[13] When cooked with pork short ribs, the resulting soup is traditionally thought to help produce more milk for breastfeeding mothers.[citation needed] In the Philippines, it is candied (referred to plainly as kundol) and is used as a pastry filling for hopia. It is also an ingredient in some savory soups (sabaw) and stir-fries (guisado). In Indian cuisine it is traditionally used to prepare a wide variety of dishes. In northern India it is used to prepare a candy called petha. In South Indian cuisine, it is traditionally used to make a variety of curries, including a stew made with a yogurt base.[14] The juice of the raw ash gourd (Maipawl or Khar) is used by the Mizo community and indigenous Assamese ethnicities of North-East India as a natural remedy to treat mild to severe dysentery. In north India, particularly in the middle Himalayas, it is paired with pulses such as moong which, when crushed, along with winter gourd, make a dish locally called bori. When dried in sunlight it becomes somewhat hard and is used in curry dishes and eaten with rice or chapati. This practice is especially prevalent in the Himalayas due to the long shelf life of the resulting product. In Andhra Pradesh, it is called Boodida Gummadikaya (బూడిద గుమ్మడికాయ) (Telugu). It is used to make stews, stir fries and vadialu. Vadialu are made by chopping the gourd in small pieces and mixing with ground urad beans and spices, then sun-drying. To eat, vadialu are deep fried in oil and eaten as an accompaniment to rice and sambar or lentil stews.[citation needed] Murabba made from Wax gourd Murabba made from Wax gourd In Kerala, the plant is called Kumbalam (കുമ്പളം) and the fruit is called Kumbalanga (കുമ്പളങ്ങ) or Kooshmandam (കൂശ്മാണ്ടം). It is traditionally used to offer 'Guruthi' (ഗുരുതി) instead of 'Kuruti' (കുരുതി) among Malayali Brahmins. Thus, instead of offering someone's life in the pyre, an ash gourd is cut into two as a symbolic performance in lieu of human sacrifice. In Karnataka, the ash gourd is known as Boodu Kumbalakaayi (ಬೂದು ಕುಂಬಳಕಾಯಿ) (Kannada) and Boldu Kumbda in Tulu, and is used to prepare dishes like Kodel (Sambhar), Ale bajji, Kashi Halwa and chutney.[15] It is widely used during Dasara and other festivities while performing pooje. In Maharashtra, the ash gourd is known as Kohalaa in Marathi language, Kohala is used to prepare a sweet dish called Kohalyachi Vadee (Burfi), it is also used to preparing (Sambhar). In Gujarat, it is called kolu (કોળુ). In Bengal, it is called "ChaalKumro" (চালকুমড়ো ). There are various dished made with it, viz., ChalKumro’r Bora, Chalkumro ghonto, Chalkumror dudh curry, Chal kumro with mung dal, etc.[16][17][18][19][20][21] In Nepal, where it is called Kubhindo, it is cooked as a vegetable when young, but the ripe gourds are usually made into preserves or crystallized candy known as "murabba" or "petha".[22][unreliable source?] Occasionally, it is used to produce a fruit drink with a distinctive taste. It is usually sweetened with caramelized sugar. In Southeast Asia, the drink is marketed as wax gourd tea or wax gourd punch. The shoots, tendrils, and leaves of the plant may also be eaten as greens.[23][unreliable source?] The ash gourd is also used by Hindus as a sacrificial offering in lieu of animal sacrifice. The gourd is marked with vermillion and split in two with a sword. 2020 mystery seed mail In summer of 2020, several states across the U.S. reported mysterious, unsolicited packages containing unknown and unidentified seeds of various kinds - the envelopes presented Chinese text in many cases. At least one person planted one type of these seeds, which grew and was analyzed before state officials destroyed the plant.[24] This proved to be Benincasa hispida." (wikipedia.org) "A pumpkin is a vernacular term for mature winter squash of species and varieties in the genus Cucurbita that has culinary and cultural significance[1][2] but no agreed upon botanical or scientific meaning.[3] The term pumpkin is sometimes used interchangeably with "squash" or "winter squash", and is commonly used for cultivars of Cucurbita argyrosperma, Cucurbita ficifolia, Cucurbita maxima, Cucurbita moschata, and Cucurbita pepo.[1] Native to North America (northeastern Mexico and the southern United States), C. pepo pumpkins are one of the oldest domesticated plants, having been used as early as 7,000 to 5,500 BC. Today, pumpkins of varied species are widely grown for food, as well as for aesthetic and recreational purposes.[4] The pumpkin's thick shell contains edible seeds and pulp. Pumpkin pie, for instance, is a traditional part of Thanksgiving meals in Canada and the United States, and pumpkins are frequently carved as jack-o'-lanterns for decoration around Halloween, although commercially canned pumpkin purée and pumpkin pie fillings are usually made of different pumpkin varieties from those used for jack-o'-lanterns.[5] Etymology and terminology According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the English word pumpkin derives from the Ancient Greek word πέπων (romanized pepōn), meaning 'melon'.[6][7] Under this theory, the term transitioned through the Latin word peponem and the Middle French word pompon to the Early Modern English pompion, which was changed to pumpkin by 17th-century English colonists, shortly after encountering pumpkins upon their arrival in what is now the northeastern United States.[6] An alternate derivation for pumpkin is the Massachusett word pôhpukun, meaning 'grows forth round'.[8] This term would likely have been used by the Wampanoag people (who speak the Wôpanâak dialect of Massachusett) when introducing pumpkins to English Pilgrims at Plymouth Colony, located in present-day Massachusetts.[9] The English word squash is also derived from a Massachusett word, variously transcribed as askꝏtasquash,[10] ashk8tasqash, or, in the closely-related Narragansett language, askútasquash.[11] Researchers have noted that the term pumpkin and related terms like ayote and calabaza are applied to a range of winter squash with varying size and shape.[1] The term tropical pumpkin is sometimes used for pumpkin cultivars of the species Cucurbita moschata.[12] Description Cross section of a Cucurbita maxima pumpkin Pumpkin fruits are a type of botanical berry known as a pepo.[13] Characteristics commonly used to define "pumpkin" include smooth and slightly ribbed skin,[14] and deep yellow to orange color.[14] White, green, and other pumpkin colors also exist.[15] While C. pepo pumpkins generally weigh between 3 and 8 kilograms (6 and 18 lb), Giant pumpkins can exceed a tonne in mass.[16][17] Most are varieties of Cucurbita maxima, and were developed through the efforts of botanical societies and enthusiast farmers.[16] The largest cultivars of the species Curcubita maxima frequently reach weights of over 34 kg (75 lb), with current record weights of over 1,226 kg (2,703 lbs)." (wikipedia.org) "Winter squash is an annual fruit representing several squash species within the genus Cucurbita. Late-growing, less symmetrical, odd-shaped, rough or warty varieties, small to medium in size, but with long-keeping qualities and hard rinds, are usually called winter squash.[1] They differ from summer squash in that they are harvested and eaten in the mature stage when their seeds within have matured fully and their skin has hardened into a tough rind. At this stage, most varieties of this vegetable can be stored for use during the winter. Winter squash is generally cooked before being eaten, and the skin or rind is not usually eaten as it is with summer squash.[2] Cultivars of winter squash that are round and orange are called pumpkins. In New Zealand and Australian English, the term "pumpkin" generally refers to the broader category called "winter squash".[3] Although winter squashes are grown in many regions, they are relatively economically unimportant, with few exceptions.[1] They are grown extensively in tropical America, Japan, Northern Italy, and certain areas of the United States.[1] The calabazas of the West Indies and the forms grown by the people of Mexico and Central America are not uniform, pure varieties but extremely variable in size, shape, and color.[1] Since these species are normally cross-pollinated, it is now difficult to keep a variety pure.... Planting and harvesting Squash is a frost-tender plant meaning that the seeds do not germinate in cold soil. Winter squash seeds germinate best when the soil temperature is 21 to 35 °C (70 to 95 °F), with the warmer end of the range being optimal.[4] It is harvested whenever the fruit has turned a deep, solid color and the skin is hard. Most winter squash is harvested in September or October in the Northern Hemisphere, before the danger of heavy frosts.[citation needed] Nutritional value Winter squash, all varieties, rawNutritional value per 100 g (3.5 oz) Energy    143 kJ (34 kcal) Carbohydrates     8.59g Sugars    2.2 g Dietary fiber    1.5g Fat     0.13 g Protein     0.95 g Vitamins    Quantity %DV† Vitamin A equiv. beta-Carotene lutein zeaxanthin     9% 68 μg 8% 820 μg 38 μg Thiamine (B1)    3% 0.04 mg Riboflavin (B2)    5% 0.062 mg Niacin (B3)    3% 0.5 mg Pantothenic acid (B5)    4% 0.188 mg Vitamin B6    12% 0.156 mg Folate (B9)    6% 24 μg Vitamin C    15% 12.3 mg Minerals    Quantity %DV† Calcium    3% 28 mg Iron    4% 0.58 mg Magnesium    4% 15 mg Manganese    8% 0.164 mg Phosphorus    3% 24 mg Potassium    7% 350 mg Other constituents    Quantity Water    90 g Link to USDA Database entry     Units     μg = micrograms • mg = milligrams     IU = International units †Percentages are roughly approximated using US recommendations for adults. Source: USDA FoodData Central Raw winter squash (such as acorn or butternut) is 90% water, 9% carbohydrates, 1% protein, and contains negligible fat (table). In a 100 gram reference amount, it supplies 34 calories and is a moderate source (10-19% of the Daily Value, DV) of vitamin C (15% DV) and vitamin B6 (12% DV), with no other micronutrients in significant content (table). It is also a source of the provitamin A carotenoid, beta-carotene.[5] Subspecies, cultivars and varieties Main article: List of gourds and squashes     This section needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (January 2021) (Learn how and when to remove this template message) Cucurbita maxima     Ambercup squash     Arikara squash     Atlantic Giant     Banana squash     Buttercup squash     Georgia candy roaster     Hubbard squash     Jarrahdale pumpkin     Kabocha - "Hokkaido squash"     Lakota squash     Mooregold squash     Red kuri squash - also called "orange Hokkaido squash" or "baby red Hubbard squash"     Turban squash Cucurbita argyrosperma     Cushaw squash (also called "winter crookneck squash") Cucurbita moschata Butternut squash is a variety of winter squash Calabaza, a winter squash common in Cuba, Florida, Puerto Rico, and the Philippines     Butternut squash     Calabaza     Dickinson pumpkin     Long Island cheese pumpkin     Fairytale pumpkin squash or Musquee de Provence[6]     Kent pumpkin Cucurbita pepo     Acorn squash     Carnival squash     Delicata squash     Field pumpkin     Heart of gold squash     Spaghetti squash     Sweet dumpling squash     Autumn cup squash     Giraumon     Gold nugget squash     Sugar loaf squash" (wikipedia.org) " White Pumpkins: Are They Edible? November 16, 2022 by Rebekah Pierce Although they were once rare commodities in most parts of the United States, white pumpkins are seeing a huge surge in popularity. They are fun to decorate with, lending your home a festive fall feel that works well with any style of decorating. white pumpkins So that leads to the question of white pumpkins: are they edible? Yes, white pumpkins are edible. You can substitute white pumpkin for orange pumpkin in most recipes, regardless of whether you want those recipes to be sweet or savory. In fact, the soft, sweet texture and taste of many white pumpkin varieties make them perfect for baking. If you’re curious about white pumpkins, including how you can cook and decorate with them (or perhaps what exactly they even are!), you have come to the right place. What Are White Pumpkins? Technically a variety of winter squash, white pumpkins have been around for practically forever. In fact, some of the first pumpkin seeds were discovered in 7000 B.C., making the pumpkin one of the world’s oldest (and most whimsical!) vegetables. White pumpkins, however, didn’t really come on the scene until the early part of the 21st century, viewed more of an accident in genetics rather than a popular sales item until that point. White pumpkins are essentially the same thing as the orange pumpkins you’ll find dotting country roadsides in the fall. Though once a novelty item in most parts of the United States, white pumpkins are making a comeback, offering an intriguing white glow that lends itself well to chic fall decorating. White pumpkins are pale pumpkins that have been bred by scientists and pumpkin growers alike. One of the first white pumpkins ever produced was by a University of New Hampshire professor named Brent Loy, who successfully grew a white pumpkin he called Moonshine. Also known as albino pumpkins, white pumpkins can be referred to and sold under many names, including ghost pumpkin, and snowball pumpkins. Some common varieties of these pumpkins include Snowball, Cotton Candy, Baby Boo, Lumina, and Casper. White pumpkins are grown in exactly the same way as orange pumpkins. They must be planted once the soil has warmed and the danger of frost has passed. They take a long time to grow, too – usually, around 90 days, although this can vary depending on the size and cultivar of your pumpkin as well as your growing conditions. As with orange pumpkins, it’s important that you harvest your white pumpkins as soon as they ripen – otherwise, they could discolor on the vine. Make sure you grow them in full-sunlight, ideally in a planting site that has well-draining soil and good water retention. It’s important that you read the instructions on your seed packets before you plant. While most like to be grown in the same conditions as orange pumpkins, there are some that need to be grown in the shade. Otherwise, their white coloration will easily fade. Most white pumpkins remain a bit on the smaller side, but there are several varieties of giant white pumpkins you can grow, too. The largest ever white pumpkin tipped the scales at 2,528 lbs. For the best chances at a massive pumpkin, you’ll want to grow Full Moon pumpkins, which can easily weigh up to 90 lbs! Are White Pumpkins Edible? As mentioned earlier in the article, yes! White pumpkins are absolutely edible. You can substitute white pumpkin for orange pumpkin in most recipes, as all the flesh inside a whit pumpkin is edible. You can make a pie or whip up a soup. You can even hollow out a white pumpkin, and use it as a unique serving tureen! White pumpkin seeds, like orange pumpkin seeds, can also be eaten. Just toss them in a skillet or roast them in an oven. As with other kinds of pumpkins, you can also freeze and puree white pumpkin. The steps you will take to do so are exactly the same as those that you would follow if you were working with pumpkins of any other colors. There are just as many nutritional and culinary benefits from eating white pumpkins as there are from eating orange pumpkins, too. They have a low calorie count, coming in at fewer than 50 calories per cup. You’ll get a whopping three grams of fiber, eleven garms of carbohydrates, and two grams of protein for this serving size. Although whtie pumpkins are somewhat high in sugar – five grams – that’s no different than if you were to eat an orange pumpkin. White pumpkins are also high in iron, manganese, calcium, selenium, zinc, and potassium, and while some studies suggest that white pumpkins have fewer vitamins than orange pumpkins (due to their pale coloration), there hasn’t been enough research to solidly back this up. Either way, eating a white pumpkin is a delicious and healthy choice – so be sure to include some in your favorite pumpkin recipe regardless! What Kinds of White Pumpkins Are Best For Eating? Most white pumpkins will taste more or less the same, but generally, those that are smaller and more compact will have sweeter, more pronounced flavors. If you’re looking for white pumpkins to snack on their seeds, you’ll want to choose the Baby Boo cultivar. This kind fo white pumpkin grows to just one pound or so, reaching a few inches in diameter. With a flat top, this pumpkin produces about 400 seeds per pound, making it a good choice for roasted pumpkin seeds. Another cultivar of white pumpkin that is good for seeds is Snowball. This cultivar isn’t quite as common as some of the other more popular white pumpkin types, so you may have to do some digging in order to round up the seeds you need. That said, you’ll get a ton of seeds from one pumpkin. Casper pumpkins are popular options if you like to bake. They tend to be a bit sweeter than other kinds of pumpkins (including other orange pumpkins), so you can use a bit less sugar if you want to add a sugary taste to your favorite pie recipe. They take a long time to grow, up to 150 or 160 days, so you’ll want to give yourself more time at the onset of the growing season. Crystal Star is a larger white pumpkin, sometimes reaching an excess of 30 lbs! This pumpkin’s large size makes it ideal for carving, so I would recommend scooping out the insides and saving them for your favorite soup recipe before you carve up your Jack-o-lantern. Lumina is another solid choice. This pumpkin is also quite large reaching about fifteen pounds, and has a sweet taste and a sturdy, strong stem. Some other kinds of white pumpkins that are good for eating include Valenciano, Silver Moon, Hooligan, and Polar Bear. Virtually any kind of pumpkin can serve as a “kitchen” pumpkin, but I’d recommend steering clear of White Ghost. White Ghost has a gorgeous appearance with its irregular shape, but it has a bit of an off taste that can make it tough to cook with. It can also be a bit of a challenge to carve. What Else Can You Do With a White Pumpkin? White pumpkins aren’t just great for eating – they’re also superb for decorating. Many people use them in gourd and pumpkin displays at their homes and businesses, often used in centerpieces too. It doesn’t take much to dress up a white pumpkin – they tend to attract all of the attention on their own. You can also add other features to your white pumpkins, though, if you so desire. Some people tie on ribbons, or paint their white pumpkins, ornating them with monograms or other festive decor to spruce up their autumn decorations and add a touch of ambience. They’re great for painting and stencilling, since they offer more or less a blank slate. Because the skin on a white pumpkin is thinner than that of an orange pumpkin, it’s also a great choice for carving. Although white pumpkins are, disappointingly, not white on the inside, they still offer a great blank canvas for your Halloween jack-o-lantern. Harvesting and Cooking With White Pumpkins Try to pick your white pumpkins as soon as they ripen – leave them on the vine, and they are more likely to become faded or discolored. They could rot or become misshapen, too, which would be unfortunate after all that time you’ve spent waiting for them to ripen up! Not sure whether your pumpkins are ready to harvest? Flick one with your finger and listen closely. If you’ve ever done this test with watermelon, it’s the same for pumpkins – you’re waiting for a hollow sound. You can also try to penetrate the skin with your fingernail. If the skin doesn’t flex or indent, your pumpkin is ripe, and ready to be picked. Inspect your pumpkin for outward damages like bruises, cuts, and dents. If you are going to use your pumpkin for cooking right away, these damages aren’t hugely problematic. You will be cutting up the pumpkin before too long anyway! However, if you want to keep your white pumpkins in storage so that you can use them later, you’ll want to avoid cooking with pumpkins that have huge bruises, rotten spots, or soft areas. As long as your white pumpkin is free from blemishes, though, you can store it for several months at a cool temperature. Just make sure you cure your pumpkins before you put them into storage. To do this, harvest the pumpkin from the vine by snapping it cleanly from the vine. Leave a bit of the stem intact. Let your white pumpkins sit in a warm, yet not too hot, location for a few days to weeks, ideally one with lots of good air circulation. You may want to roll or rotate the pumpkins every so often to make sure all sides receive adequate airflow. Once your pumpkins have cured, you can put them into storage – or you can cook with them right away! As I mentioned before, you can use white pumpkins as a substitute for orange pumpkins in just about any recipe. The insides of your white pumpkin will look just like the insides of your orange pumpkin. You won’t be able to tell the difference! Just avoid eating pumpkins that have already been used for decorations (with paints and stencils) or for carving. You need to refrigerate pumpkin innards as soon as the pumpkin is cut open or you run the risk of bacterial or fungal contamination. The dyes and inks used to color or decorate white pumpkins can also make you sick, so skip these if you know you plan to eat your pumpkin later on." (newlifeonahomestead.com) "A candle is an ignitable wick embedded in wax, or another flammable solid substance such as tallow, that provides light, and in some cases, a fragrance. A candle can also provide heat or a method of keeping time. A person who makes candles is traditionally known as a chandler.[1] Various devices have been invented to hold candles, from simple tabletop candlesticks, also known as candle holders, to elaborate candelabra and chandeliers.[2] For a candle to burn, a heat source (commonly a naked flame from a match or lighter) is used to light the candle's wick, which melts and vaporizes a small amount of fuel (the wax). Once vaporized, the fuel combines with oxygen in the atmosphere to ignite and form a constant flame. This flame provides sufficient heat to keep the candle burning via a self-sustaining chain of events: the heat of the flame melts the top of the mass of solid fuel; the liquefied fuel then moves upward through the wick via capillary action; the liquefied fuel finally vaporizes to burn within the candle's flame. As the fuel (wax) is melted and burned, the candle becomes shorter. Portions of the wick that are not emitting vaporized fuel are consumed in the flame. The incineration of the wick limits the length of the exposed portion of the wick, thus maintaining a constant burning temperature and rate of fuel consumption. Some wicks require regular trimming with scissors (or a specialized wick trimmer), usually to about one-quarter inch (~0.7 cm), to promote slower, steady burning, and also to prevent smoking. Special candle scissors called "snuffers" were produced for this purpose in the 20th century and were often combined with an extinguisher. In modern candles, the wick is constructed so that it curves over as it burns. This ensures that the end of the wick gets oxygen and is then consumed by fire—a self-trimming wick.[... Etymology The word candle comes from Middle English candel, from Old English and from Anglo-Norman candele, both from Latin candēla, from candēre 'to shine'.[4] History Main article: History of candle making Roman oil lamp Prior to the candle, people used oil lamps in which a lit wick rested in a container of liquid oil. Romans began making true dipped candles from tallow, beginning around 500 BC.[5] European candles of antiquity were made from various forms of natural fat, tallow, and wax. In Ancient Rome, candles were made of tallow due to the prohibitive cost of beeswax.[6] They may have also existed in Ancient Greece, but imprecise terminology makes it difficult to determine.[6] The earliest surviving candles originated in Han China around 200 BC. These early Chinese candles were made from whale fat.[7] During the Middle Ages, tallow candles were most commonly used. By the 13th century, candle making had become a guild craft in England and France. The candle makers (chandlers) went from house to house making candles from the kitchen fats saved for that purpose, or made and sold their own candles from small candle shops.[8] Beeswax, compared to animal-based tallow, burned cleanly, without smoky flame. Beeswax candles were expensive, and relatively few people could afford to burn them in their homes in medieval Europe. However, they were widely used for church ceremonies.[9] In the Middle East, during the Abbasid and Fatimid Caliphates, beeswax was the dominant material used for candle making.[10] Beeswax was often imported from long distances; for example, candle makers from Egypt used beeswax from Tunis.[10] As in Europe, these candles were fairly expensive, and most commoners used oil lamps instead.[10] Elites, though, could afford to spend large sums on expensive candles.[10] For example, the Abbasid caliph al-Mutawakkil spent 1.2 million silver dirhams annually on candles for his royal palaces.[10] In early modern Syria, candles were in high demand by all socioeconomic classes because they were customarily lit during marriage ceremonies.[10] There were candle makers' guilds in the Safavid capital of Isfahan during the 1500s and 1600s.[10] However, candle makers had a relatively low social position in Safavid Iran, comparable to barbers, bathhouse workers, fortune tellers, bricklayers, and porters.[10] In the 18th and 19th centuries, spermaceti, a waxy substance produced by the sperm whale, was used to produce a superior candle that burned longer, brighter and gave off no offensive smell.[11] Later in the 18th century, colza oil and rapeseed oil came into use as much cheaper substitutes. Modern era Price's Candles had become the largest candle manufacturer in the world by the end of the 19th century The manufacture of candles became an industrialized mass market in the mid 19th century. In 1834, Joseph Morgan,[12] a pewterer from Manchester, England, patented a machine that revolutionised candle making. It allowed for continuous production of molded candles by using a cylinder with a moveable piston to eject candles as they solidified. This more efficient mechanized production produced about 1,500 candles per hour. This allowed candles to be an affordable commodity for the masses.[13] Candlemakers also began to fashion wicks out of tightly braided (rather than simply twisted) strands of cotton. This technique makes wicks curl over as they burn, maintaining the height of the wick and therefore the flame. Because much of the excess wick is incinerated, these are referred to as "self-trimming" or "self-consuming" wicks.[14] In the mid-1850s, James Young succeeded in distilling paraffin wax from coal and oil shales at Bathgate in West Lothian and developed a commercially viable method of production.[15] Paraffin could be used to make inexpensive candles of high quality. It was a bluish-white wax, which burned cleanly and left no unpleasant odor, unlike tallow candles. By the end of the 19th century, candles were made from paraffin wax and stearic acid. By the late 19th century, Price's Candles, based in London, was the largest candle manufacturer in the world.[16] Founded by William Wilson in 1830,[17] the company pioneered the implementation of the technique of steam distillation, and was thus able to manufacture candles from a wide range of raw materials, including skin fat, bone fat, fish oil and industrial greases. Despite advances in candle making, the candle industry declined rapidly upon the introduction of superior methods of lighting, including kerosene and lamps and the 1879 invention of the incandescent light bulb. From this point on, candles came to be marketed as more of a decorative item.[18] Use See also: Ceremonial use of lights § Candles Candle lighting in the Visoki Dečani monastery Before the invention of electric lighting, candles and oil lamps were commonly used for illumination. In areas without electricity, they are still used routinely. Until the 20th century, candles were more common in northern Europe. In southern Europe and the Mediterranean, oil lamps predominated. In the developed world today, candles are used mainly for their aesthetic value and scent, particularly to set a soft, warm, or romantic ambiance, for emergency lighting during electrical power failures, and for religious or ritual purposes.[19] In the 21st century, there has been a huge spike in sales of scented candles in recent years.[20][19] The and the ensuring lockdowns led to a dramatic increase in the sales of scented candles, diffusers and room sprays.[21] Other uses A type of candle clock With the fairly consistent and measurable burning of a candle, a common use of candles was to tell the time. The candle designed for this purpose might have time measurements, usually in hours, marked along the wax. The Song dynasty in China (960–1279) used candle clocks.[22] By the 18th century, candle clocks were being made with weights set into the sides of the candle. As the candle melted, the weights fell off and made a noise as they fell into a bowl. In the days leading to Christmas, some people burn a candle a set amount to represent each day, as marked on the candle. The type of candle used in this way is called the Advent candle,[23] although this term is also used to refer to a candle that are used in an Advent wreath. Components Wax The hydrocarbon C31H64 is a typical component of paraffin wax, from which most modern candles are produced. Unlit twisted beeswax candles For most of recorded history candles were made from tallow (rendered from beef or mutton-fat) or beeswax. From the mid 1800s, they were also made from spermaceti, a waxy substance derived from the Sperm whale, which in turn spurred demand for the substance. Candles were also made from stearin (initially manufactured from animal fats but now produced almost exclusively from palm waxes).[24][25] Today, most candles are made from paraffin wax, a byproduct of petroleum refining.[26] Candles can also be made from microcrystalline wax, beeswax (a byproduct of honey collection), gel (a mixture of polymer and mineral oil),[27] or some plant waxes (generally palm, carnauba, bayberry, or soybean wax). The size of the flame and corresponding rate of burning is controlled largely by the candle wick. The kind of wax also affects the burn rate, with beeswax and coconut wax burning longer than paraffin or soy wax.[28] Production methods utilize extrusion moulding.[26] More traditional production methods entail melting the solid fuel by the controlled application of heat. The liquid is then poured into a mould, or a wick is repeatedly immersed in the liquid to create a dipped tapered candle. Often fragrance oils, essential oils or aniline-based dye is added. Wick Main article: Candle wick Candle with unlit wick A candle wick works by capillary action, drawing ("wicking") the melted wax or fuel up to the flame. When the liquid fuel reaches the flame, it vaporizes and combusts. The candle wick influences how the candle burns. Important characteristics of the wick include diameter, stiffness, fire resistance, and tethering. A candle wick is a piece of string or cord that holds the flame of a candle. Commercial wicks are made from braided cotton. The wick's capillarity determines the rate at which the melted hydrocarbon is conveyed to the flame. If the capillarity is too great, the molten wax streams down the side of the candle. Wicks are often infused with a variety of chemicals to modify their burning characteristics. For example, it is usually desirable that the wick not glow after the flame is extinguished. Typical agents are ammonium nitrate and ammonium sulfate.[26] Characteristics     This section needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (January 2021) (Learn how and when to remove this template message) Light A room lit by the glow of many candles Based on measurements of a taper-type, paraffin wax candle, a modern candle typically burns at a steady rate of about 0.1 g/min, releasing heat at roughly 80 W.[29] The light produced is about 13 lumens, for a luminous efficacy of about 0.16 lumens per watt (luminous efficacy of a source) – almost a hundred times lower than an incandescent light bulb. If a 1 candela source emitted uniformly in all directions, the total radiant flux would be only about 18.40 mW. The luminous intensity of a typical candle is approximately one candela. The SI unit, candela, was in fact based on an older unit called the candlepower, which represented the luminous intensity emitted by a candle made to particular specifications (a "standard candle"). The modern unit is defined in a more precise and repeatable way, but was chosen such that a candle's luminous intensity is still about one candela. Temperature See also: Combustion The hottest part of a candle flame is just above the very dull blue part to one side of the flame, at the base. At this point, the flame is about 1,400 °C (2,550 °F). However, this part of the flame is very small and releases little heat energy. The blue color is due to chemiluminescence, while the visible yellow color is due to radiative emission from hot soot particles. The soot is formed through a series of complex chemical reactions, leading from the fuel molecule through molecular growth, until multi-carbon ring compounds are formed. The thermal structure of a flame is complex, hundreds of degrees over very short distances leading to extremely steep temperature gradients. On average, the flame temperature is about 1,000 °C (1,830 °F).[30] The color temperature is approximately 1,000 K. Candle flame Five zones of a standard domestic candle flame A candle flame is formed because wax vaporizes on burning. A candle flame is widely recognized as having between three and five regions or "zones":     Zone I – this is the non-luminous, lowest, and coolest part of the candle flame. It is located around the base of the wick where there is insufficient oxygen for fuel to burn. Temperatures are around 600 °C (1,112 °F).     Zone II – this is the blue zone, which surrounds the base of the flame. Here the supply of oxygen is plentiful, and the fuel burns clean and blue. It is heat from this zone which causes the wax to melt. Temperatures are around 800 °C (1,470 °F)     Zone III – the dark zone is a region directly above the wick containing unburnt wax. Pyrolysis takes place here. Temperature is around 1,000 °C (1,830 °F)     Zone IV – the middle or luminous zone is yellow/white and is located above the dark zone. It is the brightest zone, but not the hottest. It is an oxygen-depleted zone with insufficient oxygen to burn all of the wax vapor rising from below it, resulting in only partial combustion. The zone also contains unburnt carbon particles. Temperature is around 1,200 °C (2,190 °F).     Zone V – The non-luminous outer zone or veil surrounds Zone IV. Here, the flame is at its hottest, at around 1,400 °C (2,550 °F), and complete combustion occurs. It is light blue in color, though most of it is invisible.[31][32] The main determinant of the height of a candle flame is the diameter of the wick. This is evidenced in tealights where the wick is very thin and the flame is very small. Candles whose main purpose is illumination use a much thicker wick.[33] History of study One of Michael Faraday's significant works was The Chemical History of a Candle, where he gives an in-depth analysis of the evolutionary development, workings and science of candles.... Candle holders Decorative candleholders, especially those shaped as a pedestal, are called candlesticks; if multiple candle tapers are held, the term candelabrum is also used. The root form of chandelier is from the word for candle, but now usually refers to an electric fixture. The word chandelier is sometimes now used to describe a hanging fixture designed to hold multiple tapers. Many candle holders use a friction-tight socket to keep the candle upright. In this case, a candle that is slightly too wide will not fit in the holder, and a candle that is slightly too narrow will wobble. Candles that are too big can be trimmed to fit with a knife; candles that are too small can be fitted with aluminium foil. Traditionally, the candle and candle holders were made in the same place, so they were appropriately sized, but international trade has combined the modern candle with existing holders, which makes the ill-fitting candle more common. This friction-tight socket is only needed for the federals[clarification needed] and the tapers. For tea light candles, there is a variety of candle holders, including small glass holders and elaborate multi-candle stands. The same is true for votives. Wall sconces are available for tea light and votive candles. For pillar-type candles, the assortment of candle holders is broad. A fireproof plate, such as a glass plate or small mirror, can be a candle holder for a pillar-style candle. A pedestal of any kind, with the appropriate-sized fireproof top, is another option. A large glass bowl with a large flat bottom and tall mostly vertical curved sides is called a hurricane. The pillar-style candle is placed at the bottom center of the hurricane. A hurricane on a pedestal is sometimes sold as a unit. A bobèche is a drip-catching ring, which may also be affixed to a candle holder, or used independently of one. Bobèches can range from ornate metal or glass to simple plastic, cardboard, or wax paper. Use of paper or plastic bobèches is common at events where candles are distributed to a crowd or audience, such as Christmas carolers or people at other concerts or festivals. Candle followers These are glass or metal tubes with an internal stricture partway along, which sit around the top of a lit candle. As the candle burns, the wax melts and the follower holds the melted wax in, whilst the stricture rests on the topmost solid portion of wax. Candle followers are often deliberately heavy or weighted to ensure they move down as the candle burns lower, maintaining a seal and preventing wax escape. The purpose of a candle follower is threefold:     To contain the melted wax, making the candle more efficient, avoiding mess, and producing a more even burn.     As a decoration, either due to the ornate nature of the device, or (in the case of a glass follower) through light dispersion or colouration.     If necessary, to shield the flame from wind. Candle followers are often found in churches on altar candles. Candle snuffers Main article: Candle snuffer Candle snuffers are instruments used to extinguish burning candles by smothering the flame with a small metal cup that is suspended from a long handle, and thus depriving it of oxygen. An older meaning refers to a scissor-like tool used to trim the wick of a candle. With skill, this could be done without extinguishing the flame. The instrument now known as a candle snuffer was formerly called an "extinguisher" or "douter". " (wikipedai.org) "Candle making was developed independently in many places throughout history.[1] Candle moulding machine in Indonesia circa 1920 Dipped candles made from tallow were made by the Romans beginning about 500 BCE. Evidence for candles made from whale fat in China dates back to the Qin Dynasty (221–206 BCE).[2] In India, wax from boiling cinnamon was used for temple candles.[2] Candles were primarily made from tallow and beeswax in ancient times, but have been made from spermaceti (from sperm whales), purified animal fats (stearin), and paraffin wax in recent centuries.... Modern era 'Colonial'-style tapered candle molds With the growth of the whaling industry in the 18th century, spermaceti, an oil that comes from a cavity in the head of the sperm whale, became a widely used substance for candle making. The spermaceti was obtained by crystallizing the oil from the sperm whale and was the first candle substance to become available in mass quantities. Like beeswax, spermaceti wax did not create a repugnant odor when burned, and produced a significantly brighter light. It was also harder than either tallow or beeswax, so it would not soften or bend in the summer heat. The first "standard candles" were made from spermaceti wax. By 1800, an even cheaper alternative was discovered. Colza oil, derived from Brassica campestris, and a similar oil derived from rapeseed, yielded candles that produce clear, smokeless flames. The French chemists Michel Eugène Chevreul (1786–1889) and Joseph-Louis Gay-Lussac (1778–1850) patented stearin in 1825. Like tallow, this was derived from animals, but had no glycerine content. Industrialization Joseph Morgan's candle making machine revolutionized candle making The manufacture of candles became an industrialised mass market in the mid 19th century. In 1834, Joseph Morgan, a pewterer from Manchester, England, patented a machine that revolutionised candle making. It allowed for continuous production of molded candles by using a cylinder with a moveable piston to eject candles as they solidified. This more efficient mechanized production produced about 1,500 candles per hour, (according to his patent, "with three men and five boys [the machine] will manufacture two tons of candle in twelve hours"). This allowed candles to become an easily affordable commodity for the masses.[11] Price's Candles became the largest candle manufacturer in the world by the end of the 19th century At this time, candlemakers also began to fashion wicks out of tightly braided (rather than simply twisted) strands of cotton. This technique makes wicks curl over as they burn, maintaining the height of the wick and therefore the flame. Because much of the excess wick is incinerated, these are referred to as "self-trimming" or "self-consuming" wicks.[12] In 1848 James Young established the world's first oil refinery at the Alfreton Ironworks in Riddings, Derbyshire. Two paraffin wax candles were made from the naturally occurring paraffin wax present in the oil and these candles illuminated a lecture at the Royal Institution by Lyon Playfair. In the mid-1850s, James Young succeeded in distilling paraffin wax from coal and oil shales at Bathgate in West Lothian and developed a commercially viable method of production.[13] The Paraffin wax was processed by distilling residue left after crude petroleum was refined. Paraffin could be used to make inexpensive candles of high quality. It was a bluish-white wax, burned cleanly, and left no unpleasant odor, unlike tallow candles. A drawback to the substance was that early coal- and petroleum-derived paraffin waxes had a very low melting point. The introduction of stearin, discovered by Michel Eugène Chevreul, solved this problem.[14][15] Stearin is hard and durable, with a convenient melting range of 54–72.5 °C (129.2–162.5 °F). By the end of the 19th century, most candles being manufactured consisted of paraffin and stearic acid. By the late 19th century, Price's Candles, based in London was the largest candle manufacturer in the world.[16] The company traced its origins back to 1829, when William Wilson invested in 1,000 acres (1.6 sq mi; 4.0 km2) of coconut plantation in Sri Lanka.[17] His aim was to make candles from coconut oil. Later he tried palm oil from palm trees. An accidental discovery swept all his ambitions aside when his son George Wilson, a talented chemist, distilled the first petroleum oil in 1854. George also pioneered the implementation of the technique of steam distillation, and was thus able to manufacture candles from a wide range of raw materials, including skin fat, bone fat, fish oil and industrial greases. In America, Syracuse, New York developed into a global center for candle manufacturing from the mid-nineteenth century. Manufacturers included Will & Baumer, Mack Miller, Muench Kruezer, and Cathedral Candle Company. Decline of the candle industry Candles here are used to celebrate a birthday Despite advances in candle making, the candle industry declined rapidly upon the introduction of superior methods of lighting, including kerosene and lamps and the 1879 invention of the incandescent light bulb and in the 2000s with faux candles and lanterns using LEDs. From this point on, candles came to be marketed as more of a decorative item. Candles retain their unique symbolic significance however, for instance as votive offerings. Candles became available in a broad array of sizes, shapes and colors, and consumer interest in scented candles began to grow. During the 1990s, new types of candle waxes were being developed due to an unusually high demand for candles. Paraffin, a by-product of oil, was quickly replaced by new waxes and wax blends owing to rising costs. Candle manufacturers looked at waxes such as soy, palm and flax-seed oil, often blending them with paraffin in hopes of getting the performance of paraffin with the price benefits of the other waxes. The creation of unique wax blends, now requiring different fragrance chemistries and loads, placed pressure for innovation on the candle wick manufacturing industry to meet performance needs with the often tougher-to-burn formulations." (wikipedia.org) "Halloween or Hallowe'en (less commonly known as Allhalloween,[5] All Hallows' Eve,[6] or All Saints' Eve)[7] is a celebration observed in many countries on 31 October, the eve of the Western Christian feast of All Saints' Day. It begins the observance of Allhallowtide,[8] the time in the liturgical year dedicated to remembering the dead, including saints (hallows), martyrs, and all the faithful departed.[9][10][11][12] One theory holds that many Halloween traditions were influenced by Celtic harvest festivals, particularly the Gaelic festival Samhain, which are believed to have pagan roots.[13][14][15][16] Some go further and suggest that Samhain may have been Christianized as All Hallow's Day, along with its eve, by the early Church.[17] Other academics believe Halloween began solely as a Christian holiday, being the vigil of All Hallow's Day.[18][19][20][21] Celebrated in Ireland and Scotland for centuries, Irish and Scottish immigrants took many Halloween customs to North America in the 19th century,[22][23] and then through American influence Halloween had spread to other countries by the late 20th and early 21st century.[24][25] Popular Halloween activities include trick-or-treating (or the related guising and souling), attending Halloween costume parties, carving pumpkins or turnips into jack-o'-lanterns, lighting bonfires, apple bobbing, divination games, playing pranks, visiting haunted attractions, telling scary stories, and watching horror or Halloween-themed films.[26] Some people practice the Christian religious observances of All Hallows' Eve, including attending church services and lighting candles on the graves of the dead,[27][28][29] although it is a secular celebration for others.[30][31][32] Some Christians historically abstained from meat on All Hallows' Eve, a tradition reflected in the eating of certain vegetarian foods on this vigil day, including apples, potato pancakes, and soul cakes.... Etymology "Halloween" (1785) by Scottish poet Robert Burns, recounts various legends of the holiday. The word Halloween or Hallowe'en ("Saints' evening"[37]) is of Christian origin;[38][39] a term equivalent to "All Hallows Eve" is attested in Old English.[40] The word hallowe[']en comes from the Scottish form of All Hallows' Eve (the evening before All Hallows' Day):[41] even is the Scots term for "eve" or "evening",[42] and is contracted to e'en or een;[43] (All) Hallow(s) E(v)en became Hallowe'en. History Christian origins and historic customs Halloween is thought to have influences from Christian beliefs and practices.[44][45] The English word 'Halloween' comes from "All Hallows' Eve", being the evening before the Christian holy days of All Hallows' Day (All Saints' Day) on 1 November and All Souls' Day on 2 November.[46] Since the time of the early Church,[47] major feasts in Christianity (such as Christmas, Easter and Pentecost) had vigils that began the night before, as did the feast of All Hallows'.[48][44] These three days are collectively called Allhallowtide and are a time when Western Christians honour all saints and pray for recently departed souls who have yet to reach Heaven. Commemorations of all saints and martyrs were held by several churches on various dates, mostly in springtime.[49] In 4th-century Roman Edessa it was held on 13 May, and on 13 May 609, Pope Boniface IV re-dedicated the Pantheon in Rome to "St Mary and all martyrs".[50] This was the date of Lemuria, an ancient Roman festival of the dead.[51] In the 8th century, Pope Gregory III (731–741) founded an oratory in St Peter's for the relics "of the holy apostles and of all saints, martyrs and confessors".[44][52] Some sources say it was dedicated on 1 November,[53] while others say it was on Palm Sunday in April 732.[54][55] By 800, there is evidence that churches in Ireland[56] and Northumbria were holding a feast commemorating all saints on 1 November.[57] Alcuin of Northumbria, a member of Charlemagne's court, may then have introduced this 1 November date in the Frankish Empire.[58] In 835, it became the official date in the Frankish Empire.[57] Some suggest this was due to Celtic influence, while others suggest it was a Germanic idea,[57] although it is claimed that both Germanic and Celtic-speaking peoples commemorated the dead at the beginning of winter.[59] They may have seen it as the most fitting time to do so, as it is a time of 'dying' in nature.[57][59] It is also suggested the change was made on the "practical grounds that Rome in summer could not accommodate the great number of pilgrims who flocked to it", and perhaps because of public health concerns over Roman Fever, which claimed a number of lives during Rome's sultry summers.[60][44] On All Hallows' Eve, Christians in some parts of the world visit cemeteries to pray and place flowers and candles on the graves of their loved ones.[61] Top: Christians in Bangladesh lighting candles on the headstone of a relative. Bottom: Lutheran Christians praying and lighting candles in front of the central crucifix of a graveyard. By the end of the 12th century, the celebration had become known as the holy days of obligation in Western Christianity and involved such traditions as ringing church bells for souls in purgatory. It was also "customary for criers dressed in black to parade the streets, ringing a bell of mournful sound and calling on all good Christians to remember the poor souls".[62] The Allhallowtide custom of baking and sharing soul cakes for all christened souls,[63] has been suggested as the origin of trick-or-treating.[64] The custom dates back at least as far as the 15th century[65] and was found in parts of England, Wales, Flanders, Bavaria and Austria.[66] Groups of poor people, often children, would go door-to-door during Allhallowtide, collecting soul cakes, in exchange for praying for the dead, especially the souls of the givers' friends and relatives. This was called "souling".[65][67][68] Soul cakes were also offered for the souls themselves to eat,[66] or the 'soulers' would act as their representatives.[69] As with the Lenten tradition of hot cross buns, soul cakes were often marked with a cross, indicating they were baked as alms.[70] Shakespeare mentions souling in his comedy The Two Gentlemen of Verona (1593).[71] While souling, Christians would carry "lanterns made of hollowed-out turnips", which could have originally represented souls of the dead;[72][73] jack-o'-lanterns were used to ward off evil spirits.[74][75] On All Saints' and All Souls' Day during the 19th century, candles were lit in homes in Ireland,[76] Flanders, Bavaria, and in Tyrol, where they were called "soul lights",[77] that served "to guide the souls back to visit their earthly homes".[78] In many of these places, candles were also lit at graves on All Souls' Day.[77] In Brittany, libations of milk were poured on the graves of kinfolk,[66] or food would be left overnight on the dinner table for the returning souls;[77] a custom also found in Tyrol and parts of Italy.[79][77] Christian minister Prince Sorie Conteh linked the wearing of costumes to the belief in vengeful ghosts: "It was traditionally believed that the souls of the departed wandered the earth until All Saints' Day, and All Hallows' Eve provided one last chance for the dead to gain vengeance on their enemies before moving to the next world. In order to avoid being recognized by any soul that might be seeking such vengeance, people would don masks or costumes".[80] In the Middle Ages, churches in Europe that were too poor to display relics of martyred saints at Allhallowtide let parishioners dress up as saints instead.[81][82] Some Christians observe this custom at Halloween today.[83] Lesley Bannatyne believes this could have been a Christianization of an earlier pagan custom.[84] Many Christians in mainland Europe, especially in France, believed "that once a year, on Hallowe'en, the dead of the churchyards rose for one wild, hideous carnival" known as the danse macabre, which was often depicted in church decoration.[85] Christopher Allmand and Rosamond McKitterick write in The New Cambridge Medieval History that the danse macabre urged Christians "not to forget the end of all earthly things".[86] The danse macabre was sometimes enacted in European village pageants and court masques, with people "dressing up as corpses from various strata of society", and this may be the origin of Halloween costume parties.[87][88][89][72] In Britain, these customs came under attack during the Reformation, as Protestants berated purgatory as a "popish" doctrine incompatible with the Calvinist doctrine of predestination. State-sanctioned ceremonies associated with the intercession of saints and prayer for souls in purgatory were abolished during the Elizabethan reform, though All Hallow's Day remained in the English liturgical calendar to "commemorate saints as godly human beings".[90] For some Nonconformist Protestants, the theology of All Hallows' Eve was redefined; "souls cannot be journeying from Purgatory on their way to Heaven, as Catholics frequently believe and assert. Instead, the so-called ghosts are thought to be in actuality evil spirits".[91] Other Protestants believed in an intermediate state known as Hades (Bosom of Abraham).[92] In some localities, Catholics and Protestants continued souling, candlelit processions, or ringing church bells for the dead;[46][93] the Anglican church eventually suppressed this bell-ringing.[94] Mark Donnelly, a professor of medieval archaeology, and historian Daniel Diehl write that "barns and homes were blessed to protect people and livestock from the effect of witches, who were believed to accompany the malignant spirits as they traveled the earth".[95] After 1605, Hallowtide was eclipsed in England by Guy Fawkes Night (5 November), which appropriated some of its customs.[96] In England, the ending of official ceremonies related to the intercession of saints led to the development of new, unofficial Hallowtide customs. In 18th–19th century rural Lancashire, Catholic families gathered on hills on the night of All Hallows' Eve. One held a bunch of burning straw on a pitchfork while the rest knelt around him, praying for the souls of relatives and friends until the flames went out. This was known as teen'lay.[97] There was a similar custom in Hertfordshire, and the lighting of 'tindle' fires in Derbyshire.[98] Some suggested these 'tindles' were originally lit to "guide the poor souls back to earth".[99] In Scotland and Ireland, old Allhallowtide customs that were at odds with Reformed teaching were not suppressed as they "were important to the life cycle and rites of passage of local communities" and curbing them would have been difficult.[22] In parts of Italy until the 15th century, families left a meal out for the ghosts of relatives, before leaving for church services.[79] In 19th-century Italy, churches staged "theatrical re-enactments of scenes from the lives of the saints" on All Hallow's Day, with "participants represented by realistic wax figures".[79] In 1823, the graveyard of Holy Spirit Hospital in Rome presented a scene in which bodies of those who recently died were arrayed around a wax statue of an angel who pointed upward towards heaven.[79] In the same country, "parish priests went house-to-house, asking for small gifts of food which they shared among themselves throughout that night".[79] In Spain, they continue to bake special pastries called "bones of the holy" (Spanish: Huesos de Santo) and set them on graves.[100] At cemeteries in Spain and France, as well as in Latin America, priests lead Christian processions and services during Allhallowtide, after which people keep an all night vigil.[101] In 19th-century San Sebastián, there was a procession to the city cemetery at Allhallowtide, an event that drew beggars who "appeal[ed] to the tender recollectons of one's deceased relations and friends" for sympathy.[102] Gaelic folk influence An early 20th-century Irish Halloween mask displayed at the Museum of Country Life Today's Halloween customs are thought to have been influenced by folk customs and beliefs from the Celtic-speaking countries, some of which are believed to have pagan roots.[103] Jack Santino, a folklorist, writes that "there was throughout Ireland an uneasy truce existing between customs and beliefs associated with Christianity and those associated with religions that were Irish before Christianity arrived".[104] The origins of Halloween customs are typically linked to the Gaelic festival Samhain.[105] Samhain is one of the quarter days in the medieval Gaelic calendar and has been celebrated on 31 October – 1 November[106] in Ireland, Scotland and the Isle of Man.[107][108] A kindred festival has been held by the Brittonic Celts, called Calan Gaeaf in Wales, Kalan Gwav in Cornwall and Kalan Goañv in Brittany; a name meaning "first day of winter". For the Celts, the day ended and began at sunset; thus the festival begins the evening before 1 November by modern reckoning.[109] Samhain is mentioned in some of the earliest Irish literature. The names have been used by historians to refer to Celtic Halloween customs up until the 19th century,[110] and are still the Gaelic and Welsh names for Halloween. Snap-Apple Night, painted by Daniel Maclise in 1833, shows people feasting and playing divination games on Halloween in Ireland.[111] Samhain marked the end of the harvest season and beginning of winter or the 'darker half' of the year.[112][113] It was seen as a liminal time, when the boundary between this world and the Otherworld thinned. This meant the Aos Sí, the 'spirits' or 'fairies', could more easily come into this world and were particularly active.[114][115] Most scholars see them as "degraded versions of ancient gods [...] whose power remained active in the people's minds even after they had been officially replaced by later religious beliefs".[116] They were both respected and feared, with individuals often invoking the protection of God when approaching their dwellings.[117][118] At Samhain, the Aos Sí were appeased to ensure the people and livestock survived the winter. Offerings of food and drink, or portions of the crops, were left outside for them.[119][120][121] The souls of the dead were also said to revisit their homes seeking hospitality.[122] Places were set at the dinner table and by the fire to welcome them.[123] The belief that the souls of the dead return home on one night of the year and must be appeased seems to have ancient origins and is found in many cultures.[66] In 19th century Ireland, "candles would be lit and prayers formally offered for the souls of the dead. After this the eating, drinking, and games would begin".[124] Throughout Ireland and Britain, especially in the Celtic-speaking regions, the household festivities included divination rituals and games intended to foretell one's future, especially regarding death and marriage.[125] Apples and nuts were often used, and customs included apple bobbing, nut roasting, scrying or mirror-gazing, pouring molten lead or egg whites into water, dream interpretation, and others.[126] Special bonfires were lit and there were rituals involving them. Their flames, smoke, and ashes were deemed to have protective and cleansing powers.[112] In some places, torches lit from the bonfire were carried sunwise around homes and fields to protect them.[110] It is suggested the fires were a kind of imitative or sympathetic magic – they mimicked the Sun and held back the decay and darkness of winter.[123][127][128] They were also used for divination and to ward off evil spirits.[74] In Scotland, these bonfires and divination games were banned by the church elders in some parishes.[129] In Wales, bonfires were also lit to "prevent the souls of the dead from falling to earth".[130] Later, these bonfires "kept away the devil".[131] photograph A plaster cast of a traditional Irish Halloween turnip (rutabaga) lantern on display in the Museum of Country Life, Ireland[132] From at least the 16th century,[133] the festival included mumming and guising in Ireland, Scotland, the Isle of Man and Wales.[134] This involved people going house-to-house in costume (or in disguise), usually reciting verses or songs in exchange for food. It may have originally been a tradition whereby people impersonated the Aos Sí, or the souls of the dead, and received offerings on their behalf, similar to 'souling'. Impersonating these beings, or wearing a disguise, was also believed to protect oneself from them.[135] In parts of southern Ireland, the guisers included a hobby horse. A man dressed as a Láir Bhán (white mare) led youths house-to-house reciting verses – some of which had pagan overtones – in exchange for food. If the household donated food it could expect good fortune from the 'Muck Olla'; not doing so would bring misfortune.[136] In Scotland, youths went house-to-house with masked, painted or blackened faces, often threatening to do mischief if they were not welcomed.[134] F. Marian McNeill suggests the ancient festival included people in costume representing the spirits, and that faces were marked or blackened with ashes from the sacred bonfire.[133] In parts of Wales, men went about dressed as fearsome beings called gwrachod.[134] In the late 19th and early 20th century, young people in Glamorgan and Orkney cross-dressed.[134] Elsewhere in Europe, mumming was part of other festivals, but in the Celtic-speaking regions, it was "particularly appropriate to a night upon which supernatural beings were said to be abroad and could be imitated or warded off by human wanderers".[134] From at least the 18th century, "imitating malignant spirits" led to playing pranks in Ireland and the Scottish Highlands. Wearing costumes and playing pranks at Halloween did not spread to England until the 20th century.[134] Pranksters used hollowed-out turnips or mangel wurzels as lanterns, often carved with grotesque faces.[134] By those who made them, the lanterns were variously said to represent the spirits,[134] or used to ward off evil spirits.[137][138] They were common in parts of Ireland and the Scottish Highlands in the 19th century,[134] as well as in Somerset (see Punkie Night). In the 20th century they spread to other parts of Britain and became generally known as jack-o'-lanterns.[134] Spread to North America The annual New York Halloween Parade in Greenwich Village, Manhattan, is the world's largest Halloween parade, with millions of spectators annually, and has its roots in New York’s queer community.[139] Lesley Bannatyne and Cindy Ott write that Anglican colonists in the southern United States and Catholic colonists in Maryland "recognized All Hallow's Eve in their church calendars",[140][141] although the Puritans of New England strongly opposed the holiday, along with other traditional celebrations of the established Church, including Christmas.[142] Almanacs of the late 18th and early 19th century give no indication that Halloween was widely celebrated in North America.[22] It was not until after mass Irish and Scottish immigration in the 19th century that Halloween became a major holiday in America.[22] Most American Halloween traditions were inherited from the Irish and Scots,[23][143] though "In Cajun areas, a nocturnal Mass was said in cemeteries on Halloween night. Candles that had been blessed were placed on graves, and families sometimes spent the entire night at the graveside".[144] Originally confined to these immigrant communities, it was gradually assimilated into mainstream society and was celebrated coast to coast by people of all social, racial, and religious backgrounds by the early 20th century.[145] Then, through American influence, these Halloween traditions spread to many other countries by the late 20th and early 21st century, including to mainland Europe and some parts of the Far East.[24][25][146] Symbols At Halloween, yards, public spaces, and some houses may be decorated with traditionally macabre symbols including skeletons, ghosts, cobwebs, headstones, and scary looking witches. Development of artifacts and symbols associated with Halloween formed over time. Jack-o'-lanterns are traditionally carried by guisers on All Hallows' Eve in order to frighten evil spirits.[73][147] There is a popular Irish Christian folktale associated with the jack-o'-lantern,[148] which in folklore is said to represent a "soul who has been denied entry into both heaven and hell":[149]     On route home after a night's drinking, Jack encounters the Devil and tricks him into climbing a tree. A quick-thinking Jack etches the sign of the cross into the bark, thus trapping the Devil. Jack strikes a bargain that Satan can never claim his soul. After a life of sin, drink, and mendacity, Jack is refused entry to heaven when he dies. Keeping his promise, the Devil refuses to let Jack into hell and throws a live coal straight from the fires of hell at him. It was a cold night, so Jack places the coal in a hollowed out turnip to stop it from going out, since which time Jack and his lantern have been roaming looking for a place to rest.[150] In Ireland and Scotland, the turnip has traditionally been carved during Halloween,[151][152] but immigrants to North America used the native pumpkin, which is both much softer and much larger, making it easier to carve than a turnip.[151] The American tradition of carving pumpkins is recorded in 1837[153] and was originally associated with harvest time in general, not becoming specifically associated with Halloween until the mid-to-late 19th century.[154] Decorated house in Weatherly, Pennsylvania The modern imagery of Halloween comes from many sources, including Christian eschatology, national customs, works of Gothic and horror literature (such as the novels Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus and Dracula) and classic horror films such as Frankenstein (1931) and The Mummy (1932).[155][156] Imagery of the skull, a reference to Golgotha in the Christian tradition, serves as "a reminder of death and the transitory quality of human life" and is consequently found in memento mori and vanitas compositions;[157] skulls have therefore been commonplace in Halloween, which touches on this theme.[158] Traditionally, the back walls of churches are "decorated with a depiction of the Last Judgment, complete with graves opening and the dead rising, with a heaven filled with angels and a hell filled with devils", a motif that has permeated the observance of this triduum.[159] One of the earliest works on the subject of Halloween is from Scottish poet John Mayne, who, in 1780, made note of pranks at Halloween; "What fearfu' pranks ensue!", as well as the supernatural associated with the night, "Bogies" (ghosts), influencing Robert Burns' "Halloween" (1785).[160] Elements of the autumn season, such as pumpkins, corn husks, and scarecrows, are also prevalent. Homes are often decorated with these types of symbols around Halloween. Halloween imagery includes themes of death, evil, and mythical monsters.[161] Black cats, which have been long associated with witches, are also a common symbol of Halloween. Black, orange, and sometimes purple are Halloween's traditional colors.[162] Trick-or-treating and guising Main article: Trick-or-treating Trick-or-treaters in Sweden Trick-or-treating is a customary celebration for children on Halloween. Children go in costume from house to house, asking for treats such as candy or sometimes money, with the question, "Trick or treat?" The word "trick" implies a "threat" to perform mischief on the homeowners or their property if no treat is given.[64] The practice is said to have roots in the medieval practice of mumming, which is closely related to souling.[163] John Pymm wrote that "many of the feast days associated with the presentation of mumming plays were celebrated by the Christian Church."[164] These feast days included All Hallows' Eve, Christmas, Twelfth Night and Shrove Tuesday.[165][166] Mumming practiced in Germany, Scandinavia and other parts of Europe,[167] involved masked persons in fancy dress who "paraded the streets and entered houses to dance or play dice in silence".[168] Girl in a Halloween costume in 1928, Ontario, Canada, the same province where the Scottish Halloween custom of guising was first recorded in North America In England, from the medieval period,[169] up until the 1930s,[170] people practiced the Christian custom of souling on Halloween, which involved groups of soulers, both Protestant and Catholic,[93] going from parish to parish, begging the rich for soul cakes, in exchange for praying for the souls of the givers and their friends.[67] In the Philippines, the practice of souling is called Pangangaluluwa and is practiced on All Hallow's Eve among children in rural areas.[26] People drape themselves in white cloths to represent souls and then visit houses, where they sing in return for prayers and sweets.[26] In Scotland and Ireland, guising – children disguised in costume going from door to door for food or coins – is a traditional Halloween custom.[171] It is recorded in Scotland at Halloween in 1895 where masqueraders in disguise carrying lanterns made out of scooped out turnips, visit homes to be rewarded with cakes, fruit, and money.[152][172] In Ireland, the most popular phrase for kids to shout (until the 2000s) was "Help the Halloween Party".[171] The practice of guising at Halloween in North America was first recorded in 1911, where a newspaper in Kingston, Ontario, Canada, reported children going "guising" around the neighborhood.[173] American historian and author Ruth Edna Kelley of Massachusetts wrote the first book-length history of Halloween in the US; The Book of Hallowe'en (1919), and references souling in the chapter "Hallowe'en in America".[174] In her book, Kelley touches on customs that arrived from across the Atlantic; "Americans have fostered them, and are making this an occasion something like what it must have been in its best days overseas. All Halloween customs in the United States are borrowed directly or adapted from those of other countries".[175] While the first reference to "guising" in North America occurs in 1911, another reference to ritual begging on Halloween appears, place unknown, in 1915, with a third reference in Chicago in 1920.[176] The earliest known use in print of the term "trick or treat" appears in 1927, in the Blackie Herald, of Alberta, Canada.[177] An automobile trunk at a trunk-or-treat event at St. John Lutheran Church and Early Learning Center in Darien, Illinois The thousands of Halloween postcards produced between the turn of the 20th century and the 1920s commonly show children but not trick-or-treating.[178] Trick-or-treating does not seem to have become a widespread practice in North America until the 1930s, with the first US appearances of the term in 1934,[179] and the first use in a national publication occurring in 1939.[180] A popular variant of trick-or-treating, known as trunk-or-treating (or Halloween tailgating), occurs when "children are offered treats from the trunks of cars parked in a church parking lot", or sometimes, a school parking lot.[100][181] In a trunk-or-treat event, the trunk (boot) of each automobile is decorated with a certain theme,[182] such as those of children's literature, movies, scripture, and job roles.[183] Trunk-or-treating has grown in popularity due to its perception as being more safe than going door to door, a point that resonates well with parents, as well as the fact that it "solves the rural conundrum in which homes [are] built a half-mile apart".[184][185] Costumes Main article: Halloween costume Halloween costumes were traditionally modeled after figures such as vampires, ghosts, skeletons, scary looking witches, and devils.[64] Over time, the costume selection extended to include popular characters from fiction, celebrities, and generic archetypes such as ninjas and princesses. Halloween shop in Derry, Northern Ireland, selling masks Dressing up in costumes and going "guising" was prevalent in Scotland and Ireland at Halloween by the late 19th century.[152] A Scottish term, the tradition is called "guising" because of the disguises or costumes worn by the children.[172] In Ireland and Scotland, the masks are known as 'false faces',[38][186] a term recorded in Ayr, Scotland in 1890 by a Scot describing guisers: "I had mind it was Halloween . . . the wee callans were at it already, rinning aboot wi’ their fause-faces (false faces) on and their bits o’ turnip lanthrons (lanterns) in their haun (hand)".[38] Costuming became popular for Halloween parties in the US in the early 20th century, as often for adults as for children, and when trick-or-treating was becoming popular in Canada and the US in the 1920s and 1930s.[177][187] Eddie J. Smith, in his book Halloween, Hallowed is Thy Name, offers a religious perspective to the wearing of costumes on All Hallows' Eve, suggesting that by dressing up as creatures "who at one time caused us to fear and tremble", people are able to poke fun at Satan "whose kingdom has been plundered by our Saviour". Images of skeletons and the dead are traditional decorations used as memento mori.[188][189] "Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF" is a fundraising program to support UNICEF,[64] a United Nations Programme that provides humanitarian aid to children in developing countries. Started as a local event in a Northeast Philadelphia neighborhood in 1950 and expanded nationally in 1952, the program involves the distribution of small boxes by schools (or in modern times, corporate sponsors like Hallmark, at their licensed stores) to trick-or-treaters, in which they can solicit small-change donations from the houses they visit. It is estimated that children have collected more than $118 million for UNICEF since its inception. In Canada, in 2006, UNICEF decided to discontinue their Halloween collection boxes, citing safety and administrative concerns; after consultation with schools, they instead redesigned the program.[190][191] The yearly New York's Village Halloween Parade was begun in 1974; it is the world's largest Halloween parade and America's only major nighttime parade, attracting more than 60,000 costumed participants, two million spectators, and a worldwide television audience.[192] Since the late 2010s, ethnic stereotypes as costumes have increasingly come under scrutiny in the United States.[193] Such and other potentially offensive costumes have been met with increasing public disapproval.[194][195] Pet costumes According to a 2018 report from the National Retail Federation, 30 million Americans will spend an estimated $480 million on Halloween costumes for their pets in 2018. This is up from an estimated $200 million in 2010. The most popular costumes for pets are the pumpkin, followed by the hot dog, and the bumblebee in third place.[196] Games and other activities In this 1904 Halloween greeting card, divination is depicted: the young woman looking into a mirror in a darkened room hopes to catch a glimpse of her future husband. There are several games traditionally associated with Halloween. Some of these games originated as divination rituals or ways of foretelling one's future, especially regarding death, marriage and children. During the Middle Ages, these rituals were done by a "rare few" in rural communities as they were considered to be "deadly serious" practices.[197] In recent centuries, these divination games have been "a common feature of the household festivities" in Ireland and Britain.[125] They often involve apples and hazelnuts. In Celtic mythology, apples were strongly associated with the Otherworld and immortality, while hazelnuts were associated with divine wisdom.[198] Some also suggest that they derive from Roman practices in celebration of Pomona.[64] Children bobbing for apples at Hallowe'en The following activities were a common feature of Halloween in Ireland and Britain during the 17th–20th centuries. Some have become more widespread and continue to be popular today. One common game is apple bobbing or dunking (which may be called "dooking" in Scotland)[199] in which apples float in a tub or a large basin of water and the participants must use only their teeth to remove an apple from the basin. A variant of dunking involves kneeling on a chair, holding a fork between the teeth and trying to drive the fork into an apple. Another common game involves hanging up treacle or syrup-coated scones by strings; these must be eaten without using hands while they remain attached to the string, an activity that inevitably leads to a sticky face. Another once-popular game involves hanging a small wooden rod from the ceiling at head height, with a lit candle on one end and an apple hanging from the other. The rod is spun round and everyone takes turns to try to catch the apple with their teeth.[200] Image from the Book of Hallowe'en (1919) showing several Halloween activities, such as nut roasting Several of the traditional activities from Ireland and Britain involve foretelling one's future partner or spouse. An apple would be peeled in one long strip, then the peel tossed over the shoulder. The peel is believed to land in the shape of the first letter of the future spouse's name.[201][202] Two hazelnuts would be roasted near a fire; one named for the person roasting them and the other for the person they desire. If the nuts jump away from the heat, it is a bad sign, but if the nuts roast quietly it foretells a good match.[203][204] A salty oatmeal bannock would be baked; the person would eat it in three bites and then go to bed in silence without anything to drink. This is said to result in a dream in which their future spouse offers them a drink to quench their thirst.[205] Unmarried women were told that if they sat in a darkened room and gazed into a mirror on Halloween night, the face of their future husband would appear in the mirror.[206] The custom was widespread enough to be commemorated on greeting cards[207] from the late 19th century and early 20th century. Another popular Irish game was known as púicíní ("blindfolds"); a person would be blindfolded and then would choose between several saucers. The item in the saucer would provide a hint as to their future: a ring would mean that they would marry soon; clay, that they would die soon, perhaps within the year; water, that they would emigrate; rosary beads, that they would take Holy Orders (become a nun, priest, monk, etc.); a coin, that they would become rich; a bean, that they would be poor.[208][209][210][211] The game features prominently in the James Joyce short story "Clay" (1914).[212][213][214] In Ireland and Scotland, items would be hidden in food – usually a cake, barmbrack, cranachan, champ or colcannon – and portions of it served out at random. A person's future would be foretold by the item they happened to find; for example, a ring meant marriage and a coin meant wealth.[215] Up until the 19th century, the Halloween bonfires were also used for divination in parts of Scotland, Wales and Brittany. When the fire died down, a ring of stones would be laid in the ashes, one for each person. In the morning, if any stone was mislaid it was said that the person it represented would not live out the year.[110] Telling ghost stories, listening to Halloween-themed songs and watching horror films are common fixtures of Halloween parties. Episodes of television series and Halloween-themed specials (with the specials usually aimed at children) are commonly aired on or before Halloween, while new horror films are often released before Halloween to take advantage of the holiday. Haunted attractions Main article: Haunted attraction (simulated) Humorous tombstones in front of a house in California Humorous display window in Historic 25th Street, Ogden, Utah Haunted attractions are entertainment venues designed to thrill and scare patrons. Most attractions are seasonal Halloween businesses that may include haunted houses, corn mazes, and hayrides,[216] and the level of sophistication of the effects has risen as the industry has grown. The first recorded purpose-built haunted attraction was the Orton and Spooner Ghost House, which opened in 1915 in Liphook, England. This attraction actually most closely resembles a carnival fun house, powered by steam.[217][218] The House still exists, in the Hollycombe Steam Collection. It was during the 1930s, about the same time as trick-or-treating, that Halloween-themed haunted houses first began to appear in America. It was in the late 1950s that haunted houses as a major attraction began to appear, focusing first on California. Sponsored by the Children's Health Home Junior Auxiliary, the San Mateo Haunted House opened in 1957. The San Bernardino Assistance League Haunted House opened in 1958. Home haunts began appearing across the country during 1962 and 1963. In 1964, the San Manteo Haunted House opened, as well as the Children's Museum Haunted House in Indianapolis.[219] The haunted house as an American cultural icon can be attributed to the opening of the Haunted Mansion in Disneyland on 12 August 1969.[220] Knott's Berry Farm began hosting its own Halloween night attraction, Knott's Scary Farm, which opened in 1973.[221] Evangelical Christians adopted a form of these attractions by opening one of the first "hell houses" in 1972.[222] The first Halloween haunted house run by a nonprofit organization was produced in 1970 by the Sycamore-Deer Park Jaycees in Clifton, Ohio. It was cosponsored by WSAI, an AM radio station broadcasting out of Cincinnati, Ohio. It was last produced in 1982.[223] Other Jaycees followed suit with their own versions after the success of the Ohio house. The March of Dimes copyrighted a "Mini haunted house for the March of Dimes" in 1976 and began fundraising through their local chapters by conducting haunted houses soon after. Although they apparently quit supporting this type of event nationally sometime in the 1980s, some March of Dimes haunted houses have persisted until today.[224] On the evening of 11 May 1984, in Jackson Township, New Jersey, the Haunted Castle (Six Flags Great Adventure) caught fire. As a result of the fire, eight teenagers perished.[225] The backlash to the tragedy was a tightening of regulations relating to safety, building codes and the frequency of inspections of attractions nationwide. The smaller venues, especially the nonprofit attractions, were unable to compete financially, and the better funded commercial enterprises filled the vacuum.[226][227] Facilities that were once able to avoid regulation because they were considered to be temporary installations now had to adhere to the stricter codes required of permanent attractions.[228][229][230] In the late 1980s and early 1990s, theme parks entered the business seriously. Six Flags Fright Fest began in 1986 and Universal Studios Florida began Halloween Horror Nights in 1991. Knott's Scary Farm experienced a surge in attendance in the 1990s as a result of America's obsession with Halloween as a cultural event. Theme parks have played a major role in globalizing the holiday. Universal Studios Singapore and Universal Studios Japan both participate, while Disney now mounts Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party events at its parks in Paris, Hong Kong and Tokyo, as well as in the United States.[231] The theme park haunts are by far the largest, both in scale and attendance.[232] Food Pumpkins for sale during Halloween On All Hallows' Eve, many Western Christian denominations encourage abstinence from meat, giving rise to a variety of vegetarian foods associated with this day.[233] A candy apple Because in the Northern Hemisphere Halloween comes in the wake of the yearly apple harvest, candy apples (known as toffee apples outside North America), caramel apples or taffy apples are common Halloween treats made by rolling whole apples in a sticky sugar syrup, sometimes followed by rolling them in nuts. At one time, candy apples were commonly given to trick-or-treating children, but the practice rapidly waned in the wake of widespread rumors that some individuals were embedding items like pins and razor blades in the apples in the United States.[234] While there is evidence of such incidents,[235] relative to the degree of reporting of such cases, actual cases involving malicious acts are extremely rare and have never resulted in serious injury. Nonetheless, many parents assumed that such heinous practices were rampant because of the mass media. At the peak of the hysteria, some hospitals offered free X-rays of children's Halloween hauls in order to find evidence of tampering. Virtually all of the few known candy poisoning incidents involved parents who poisoned their own children's candy.[236] One custom that persists in modern-day Ireland is the baking (or more often nowadays, the purchase) of a barmbrack (Irish: báirín breac), which is a light fruitcake, into which a plain ring, a coin, and other charms are placed before baking.[237] It is considered fortunate to be the lucky one who finds it.[237] It has also been said that those who get a ring will find their true love in the ensuing year. This is similar to the tradition of king cake at the festival of Epiphany. A jack-o'-lantern Halloween cake with a witches hat List of foods associated with Halloween:     Barmbrack (Ireland)     Bonfire toffee (Great Britain)     Candy apples/toffee apples (Great Britain and Ireland)     Candy apples, candy corn, candy pumpkins (North America)     Chocolate     Monkey nuts (peanuts in their shells) (Ireland and Scotland)     Caramel apples     Caramel corn     Colcannon (Ireland; see below)     Halloween cake     Sweets/candy     Novelty candy shaped like skulls, pumpkins, bats, worms, etc.     Roasted pumpkin seeds     Roasted sweet corn     Soul cakes     Pumpkin Pie Christian religious observances The Vigil of All Hallows' is being celebrated at an Episcopal Christian church on Hallowe'en On Hallowe'en (All Hallows' Eve), in Poland, believers were once taught to pray out loud as they walk through the forests in order that the souls of the dead might find comfort; in Spain, Christian priests in tiny villages toll their church bells in order to remind their congregants to remember the dead on All Hallows' Eve.[238] In Ireland, and among immigrants in Canada, a custom includes the Christian practice of abstinence, keeping All Hallows' Eve as a meat-free day and serving pancakes or colcannon instead.[239] In Mexico children make an altar to invite the return of the spirits of dead children (angelitos).[240] The Christian Church traditionally observed Hallowe'en through a vigil. Worshippers prepared themselves for feasting on the following All Saints' Day with prayers and fasting.[241] This church service is known as the Vigil of All Hallows or the Vigil of All Saints;[242][243] an initiative known as Night of Light seeks to further spread the Vigil of All Hallows throughout Christendom.[244][245] After the service, "suitable festivities and entertainments" often follow, as well as a visit to the graveyard or cemetery, where flowers and candles are often placed in preparation for All Hallows' Day.[246][247] In Finland, because so many people visit the cemeteries on All Hallows' Eve to light votive candles there, they "are known as valomeri, or seas of light".[248] Halloween Scripture Candy with gospel tract Today, Christian attitudes towards Halloween are diverse. In the Anglican Church, some dioceses have chosen to emphasize the Christian traditions associated with All Hallow's Eve.[249][250] Some of these practices include praying, fasting and attending worship services.[1][2][3]     O LORD our God, increase, we pray thee, and multiply upon us the gifts of thy grace: that we, who do prevent the glorious festival of all thy Saints, may of thee be enabled joyfully to follow them in all virtuous and godly living. Through Jesus Christ, Our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end. Amen. —Collect of the Vigil of All Saints, The Anglican Breviary[251] Votive candles in the Halloween section of Walmart Other Protestant Christians also celebrate All Hallows' Eve as Reformation Day, a day to remember the Protestant Reformation, alongside All Hallow's Eve or independently from it.[252] This is because Martin Luther is said to have nailed his Ninety-five Theses to All Saints' Church in Wittenberg on All Hallows' Eve.[253] Often, "Harvest Festivals" or "Reformation Festivals" are held on All Hallows' Eve, in which children dress up as Bible characters or Reformers.[254] In addition to distributing candy to children who are trick-or-treating on Hallowe'en, many Christians also provide gospel tracts to them. One organization, the American Tract Society, stated that around 3 million gospel tracts are ordered from them alone for Hallowe'en celebrations.[255] Others order Halloween-themed Scripture Candy to pass out to children on this day.[256][257] Belizean children dressed up as Biblical figures and Christian saints Some Christians feel concerned about the modern celebration of Halloween because they feel it trivializes – or celebrates – paganism, the occult, or other practices and cultural phenomena deemed incompatible with their beliefs.[258] Father Gabriele Amorth, an exorcist in Rome, has said, "if English and American children like to dress up as witches and devils on one night of the year that is not a problem. If it is just a game, there is no harm in that."[259] In more recent years, the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston has organized a "Saint Fest" on Halloween.[260] Similarly, many contemporary Protestant churches view Halloween as a fun event for children, holding events in their churches where children and their parents can dress up, play games, and get candy for free. To these Christians, Halloween holds no threat to the spiritual lives of children: being taught about death and mortality, and the ways of the Celtic ancestors actually being a valuable life lesson and a part of many of their parishioners' heritage.[261] Christian minister Sam Portaro wrote that Halloween is about using "humor and ridicule to confront the power of death".[262] In the Roman Catholic Church, Halloween's Christian connection is acknowledged, and Halloween celebrations are common in many Catholic parochial schools in the United States.[263][264] Many fundamentalist and evangelical churches use "Hell houses" and comic-style tracts in order to make use of Halloween's popularity as an opportunity for evangelism.[265] Others consider Halloween to be completely incompatible with the Christian faith due to its putative origins in the Festival of the Dead celebration.[266] Indeed, even though Eastern Orthodox Christians observe All Hallows' Day on the First Sunday after Pentecost, The Eastern Orthodox Church recommends the observance of Vespers or a Paraklesis on the Western observance of All Hallows' Eve, out of the pastoral need to provide an alternative to popular celebrations.[267] Analogous celebrations and perspectives Judaism According to Alfred J. Kolatch in the Second Jewish Book of Why, in Judaism, Halloween is not permitted by Jewish Halakha because it violates Leviticus 18:3, which forbids Jews from partaking in gentile customs. Many Jews observe Yizkor communally four times a year, which is vaguely similar to the observance of Allhallowtide in Christianity, in the sense that prayers are said for both "martyrs and for one's own family".[268] Nevertheless, many American Jews celebrate Halloween, disconnected from its Christian origins.[269] Reform Rabbi Jeffrey Goldwasser has said that "There is no religious reason why contemporary Jews should not celebrate Halloween" while Orthodox Rabbi Michael Broyde has argued against Jews' observing the holiday.[270] Purim has sometimes been compared to Halloween, in part due to some observants wearing costumes, especially of Biblical figures described in the Purim narrative.[271] Islam Sheikh Idris Palmer, author of A Brief Illustrated Guide to Understanding Islam, has ruled that Muslims should not participate in Halloween, stating that "participation in Halloween is worse than participation in Christmas, Easter, ... it is more sinful than congratulating the Christians for their prostration to the crucifix".[272] It has also been ruled to be haram by the National Fatwa Council of Malaysia because of its alleged pagan roots stating "Halloween is celebrated using a humorous theme mixed with horror to entertain and resist the spirit of death that influence humans".[273][274] Dar Al-Ifta Al-Missriyyah disagrees provided the celebration is not referred to as an 'eid' and that behaviour remains in line with Islamic principles.[275] Hinduism Hindus remember the dead during the festival of Pitru Paksha, during which Hindus pay homage to and perform a ceremony "to keep the souls of their ancestors at rest". It is celebrated in the Hindu month of Bhadrapada, usually in mid-September.[276] The celebration of the Hindu festival Diwali sometimes conflicts with the date of Halloween; but some Hindus choose to participate in the popular customs of Halloween.[277] Other Hindus, such as Soumya Dasgupta, have opposed the celebration on the grounds that Western holidays like Halloween have "begun to adversely affect our indigenous festivals".[278] Neopaganism There is no consistent rule or view on Halloween amongst those who describe themselves as Neopagans or Wiccans. Some Neopagans do not observe Halloween, but instead observe Samhain on 1 November,[279] some neopagans do enjoy Halloween festivities, stating that one can observe both "the solemnity of Samhain in addition to the fun of Halloween". Some neopagans are opposed to the celebration of Hallowe'en, stating that it "trivializes Samhain",[280] and "avoid Halloween, because of the interruptions from trick or treaters".[281] The Manitoban writes that "Wiccans don't officially celebrate Halloween, despite the fact that 31 Oct. will still have a star beside it in any good Wiccan's day planner. Starting at sundown, Wiccans celebrate a holiday known as Samhain. Samhain actually comes from old Celtic traditions and is not exclusive to Neopagan religions like Wicca. While the traditions of this holiday originate in Celtic countries, modern day Wiccans don't try to historically replicate Samhain celebrations. Some traditional Samhain rituals are still practised, but at its core, the period is treated as a time to celebrate darkness and the dead – a possible reason why Samhain can be confused with Halloween celebrations."[279] Geography Main article: Geography of Halloween Halloween display in Kobe, Japan The traditions and importance of Halloween vary greatly among countries that observe it. In Scotland and Ireland, traditional Halloween customs include children dressing up in costume going "guising", holding parties, while other practices in Ireland include lighting bonfires, and having firework displays.[171][282][283] In Brittany children would play practical jokes by setting candles inside skulls in graveyards to frighten visitors.[284] Mass transatlantic immigration in the 19th century popularized Halloween in North America, and celebration in the United States and Canada has had a significant impact on how the event is observed in other nations.[171] This larger North American influence, particularly in iconic and commercial elements, has extended to places such as Brazil, Ecuador, Chile,[285] Australia,[286] New Zealand,[287] (most) continental Europe, Finland,[288] Japan, and other parts of East Asia." (wikipedia.org) "Winter is the coldest season of the year in polar and temperate climates. It occurs after autumn and before spring. The tilt of Earth's axis causes seasons; winter occurs when a hemisphere is oriented away from the Sun. Different cultures define different dates as the start of winter, and some use a definition based on weather. When it is winter in the Northern Hemisphere, it is summer in the Southern Hemisphere, and vice versa. In many regions, winter brings snow and freezing temperatures. The moment of winter solstice is when the Sun's elevation with respect to the North or South Pole is at its most negative value; that is, the Sun is at its farthest below the horizon as measured from the pole. The day on which this occurs has the shortest day and the longest night, with day length increasing and night length decreasing as the season progresses after the solstice. The earliest sunset and latest sunrise dates outside the polar regions differ from the date of the winter solstice and depend on latitude. They differ due to the variation in the solar day throughout the year caused by the Earth's elliptical orbit (see earliest and latest sunrise and sunset). ... Etymology The English word winter comes from the Proto-Germanic noun *wintru-, whose origin is unclear. Several proposals exist, a commonly mentioned one connecting it to the Proto-Indo-European root *wed- 'water' or a nasal infix variant *wend-.[1] Cause See also: Effect of Sun angle on climate The tilt of the Earth's axis relative to its orbital plane plays a large role in the formation of weather. The Earth is tilted at an angle of 23.44° to the plane of its orbit, causing different latitudes to directly face the Sun as the Earth moves through its orbit. This variation brings about seasons. When it is winter in the Northern Hemisphere, the Southern Hemisphere faces the Sun more directly and thus experiences warmer temperatures than the Northern Hemisphere. Conversely, winter in the Southern Hemisphere occurs when the Northern Hemisphere is tilted more toward the Sun. From the perspective of an observer on the Earth, the winter Sun has a lower maximum altitude in the sky than the summer Sun. During winter in either hemisphere, the lower altitude of the Sun causes the sunlight to hit the Earth at an oblique angle. Thus a lower amount of solar radiation strikes the Earth per unit of surface area. Furthermore, the light must travel a longer distance through the atmosphere, allowing the atmosphere to dissipate more heat. Compared with these effects, the effect of the changes in the distance of the Earth from the Sun (due to the Earth's elliptical orbit) is negligible. The manifestation of the meteorological winter (freezing temperatures) in the northerly snow–prone latitudes is highly variable depending on elevation, position versus marine winds and the amount of precipitation. For instance, within Canada (a country of cold winters), Winnipeg on the Great Plains, a long way from the ocean, has a January high of −11.3 °C (11.7 °F) and a low of −21.4 °C (−6.5 °F).[2] In comparison, Vancouver on the west coast with a marine influence from moderating Pacific winds has a January low of 1.4 °C (34.5 °F) with days well above freezing at 6.9 °C (44.4 °F).[3] Both places are at 49°N latitude, and in the same western half of the continent. A similar but less extreme effect is found in Europe: in spite of their northerly latitude, the British Isles have not a single non-mountain weather station with a below-freezing mean January temperature." (wikipedia.org) "Gourds include the fruits of some flowering plant species in the family Cucurbitaceae, particularly Cucurbita and Lagenaria. The term refers to a number of species and subspecies, many with hard shells, and some without. One of the earliest domesticated types of plants, subspecies of the bottle gourd, Lagenaria siceraria, have been discovered in archaeological sites dating from as early as 13,000 BCE. Gourds have had numerous uses throughout history, including as tools, musical instruments, objects of art, film, and food. Terminology Cucurbita pepo gourds grown in a suburban garden in Australia Gourd is occasionally used to describe crop plants in the family Cucurbitaceae, like pumpkins, cucumbers, squash, luffa, and melons.[1] More specifically, gourd refers to the fruits of plants in the two Cucurbitaceae genera Lagenaria and Cucurbita,[2][3] or also to their hollow, dried-out shell. There are many different gourds worldwide. The main plants referred to as gourds include several species from the genus Cucurbita (mostly native to North America, including the Malabar gourd and turban squash), Crescentia cujete (the tree gourd or calabash tree, native to the American tropics) and Lagenaria siceraria (bottle gourd, thought to be originally from Africa but present worldwide).[4][5]: 21  Other plants with gourd in their name include the luffa gourd (likely domesticated in Asia), which includes several species from the genus Luffa, as well as the wax gourd, snake gourd, teasel gourd, hedgehog gourd, buffalo gourd/coyote gourd. The bitter melon/balsam apple/balsam pear is also sometimes referred to as a gourd.[5]: 18–19, 21  History L. siceraria or bottle gourd, are native to the Americas, being found in Peruvian archaeological sites dating from 13,000 to 11,000 BCE and Thailand sites from 11,000 to 6,000 BCE.[4] A study of bottle gourd DNA published in 2005 suggests that there are two distinct subspecies of bottle gourds, domesticated independently in Africa and Asia, the latter approximately 4,000 years earlier. The gourds found in the Americas appear to have come from the Asian subspecies very early in history, although a new study now indicates Africa.[6] The archaeological and DNA records show it is likely that the gourd was among the first domesticated species, in Asia between 12,000 and 13,000 years before present, and possibly the first domesticated plant species.[7] Wild, poisonous gourds (Citrullus colocynthis) were unknowingly added to the company of prophets' stew according to a story of Elisha in the Hebrew Bible. Elisha added flour to the stew in order to purify it.[8] Gourds continued to be used throughout history in almost every culture throughout the world. European contact in North America found extensive gourd use, including the use of bottle gourds as birdhouses to attract purple martins, which provided bug control for agriculture. Almost every culture had musical instruments made of gourds, including drums, stringed instruments common to Africa and wind instruments, including the nose flutes of the Pacific....Uses Cultures from arid regions often associated gourds with water, and they appear in many creation myths. Since the beginning of their history, they have had a multitude of uses, including food, kitchen tools, toys, musical instruments and decoration.[4] Today, gourds are commonly used for a wide variety of crafts, including jewelry, furniture, dishes, utensils and a wide variety of decorations using carving, burning and other techniques.[10] Gourds are also used in instruments. For example, the Balafon, a West-African percussion instrument, is a xylophone that has gourds attached to the bottom of each note for resonance." (wikipedia.org) "Cucurbita (Latin for 'gourd')[3][4] is a genus of herbaceous fruits in the gourd family, Cucurbitaceae (also known as cucurbits or cucurbi), native to the Andes and Mesoamerica. Five edible species are grown and consumed for their flesh and seeds. They are variously known as squash, pumpkin, or gourd, depending on species, variety, and local parlance.[a] Other kinds of gourd, also called bottle-gourds, are native to Africa and belong to the genus Lagenaria, which is in the same family and subfamily as Cucurbita, but in a different tribe. These other gourds are used as utensils or vessels, and their young fruits are eaten much like those of the Cucurbita species. Most Cucurbita species are herbaceous vines that grow several meters in length and have tendrils, but non-vining "bush" cultivars of C. pepo and C. maxima have also been developed. The yellow or orange flowers on a Cucurbita plant are of two types: female and male. The female flowers produce the fruit and the male flowers produce pollen. Many North and Central American species are visited by specialist bee pollinators, but other insects with more general feeding habits, such as honey bees, also visit. There is debate about the taxonomy of the genus, as the number of accepted species varies from 13 to 30. The five domesticated species are Cucurbita argyrosperma, C. ficifolia, C. maxima, C. moschata, and C. pepo. All of these can be treated as winter squash because the full-grown fruits can be stored for months; however, C. pepo includes some cultivars that are better used only as summer squash. The fruits of the genus Cucurbita are good sources of nutrients, such as vitamin A and vitamin C, among other nutrients according to species. The fruits have many culinary uses including pumpkin pie, biscuits, bread, desserts, puddings, beverages, and soups. Although botanical fruits, Cucurbita gourds such as squash are typically cooked and eaten as vegetables. Pumpkins see more varied use, and are eaten both as vegetables and as desserts such as pumpkin pie. Description C. pepo pumpkins – the two bright orange ones in center right, and squashes C. maxima, all others Cucurbita species fall into two main groups. The first group are annual or short-lived perennial vines and are mesophytic, i.e. they require a more or less continuous water supply. The second group are perennials growing in arid zones and so are xerophytic, tolerating dry conditions. Cultivated Cucurbita species were derived from the first group. Growing 5 to 15 meters (15 to 50 ft) in height or length, the plant stem produces tendrils to help it climb adjacent plants and structures or extend along the ground. Most species do not readily root from the nodes; a notable exception is C. ficifolia, and the four other cultivated mesophytes do this to a lesser extent. The vine of the perennial Cucurbita can become semiwoody if left to grow. There is wide variation in size, shape, and color among Cucurbita fruits, and even within a single species. C. ficifolia is an exception, being highly uniform in appearance.[6] The morphological variation in the species C. pepo[7] and C. maxima[8] is so vast that its various subspecies and cultivars have been misidentified as totally separate species.[7] Green Cucurbita moschata leaves with white spots The leaves of Cucurbita moschata often have white spots near the veins. The typical cultivated Cucurbita species has five-lobed or palmately divided leaves with long petioles, with the leaves alternately arranged on the stem. The stems in some species are angular. All of the above-ground parts may be hairy with various types of trichomes, which are often hardened and sharp. Spring-like tendrils grow from each node and are branching in some species. C. argyrosperma has ovate-cordate (egg-shaped to heart-shaped) leaves. The shape of C. pepo leaves varies widely. C. moschata plants can have light or dense pubescence. C. ficifolia leaves are slightly angular and have light pubescence. The leaves of all four of these species may or may not have white spots.[9] The species are monoecious, with unisexual male (staminate) and female (pistillate) flowers on a single plant and these grow singly, appearing from the leaf axils. Flowers have five fused yellow to orange petals (the corolla) and a green bell-shaped calyx. Male flowers in Cucurbitaceae generally have five stamens, but in Cucurbita there are only three, and their anthers are joined together so that there appears to be one.[10][11] Female flowers have thick pedicels, and an inferior ovary with 3–5 stigmas that each have two lobes.[9][12] The female flowers of C. argyrosperma and C. ficifolia have larger corollas than the male flowers.[9] Female flowers of C. pepo have a small calyx, but the calyx of C. moschata male flowers is comparatively short.[9] a variety of fruits displayed in a garden, some in a sack, some in a basket A variety of fruits displayed at the Real Jardín Botánico de Madrid in 2016 Cucurbita fruits are large and fleshy.[10] Botanists classify the Cucurbita fruit as a pepo, which is a special type of berry derived from an inferior ovary, with a thick outer wall or rind with hypanthium tissue forming an exocarp around the ovary, and a fleshy interior composed of mesocarp and endocarp. The term "pepo" is used primarily for Cucurbitaceae fruits, where this fruit type is common, but the fruits of Passiflora and Carica are sometimes also pepos.[13][14] The seeds, which are attached to the ovary wall (parietal placentation) and not to the center, are large and fairly flat with a large embryo that consists almost entirely of two cotyledons.[12] Fruit size varies considerably: wild fruit specimens can be as small as 4 centimeters (1+1⁄2 in) and some domesticated specimens can weigh well over 300 kilograms (660 lb).[9] The current world record was set in 2014 by Beni Meier of Switzerland with a 1,054.0-kilogram (2,323.7 lb) pumpkin.,,,Human culture Culinary uses Slice of yellowish pumpkin custard with brown shell Pumpkin custard made from kabocha, a cultivated variant of C. maxima Long before European contact, Cucurbita had been a major food source for the native peoples of the Americas, and the species became an important food for European settlers, including the Pilgrims, even featuring at the first Thanksgiving.[12] Commercially produced pumpkin commonly used in pumpkin pie is most often varieties of C. moschata; Libby's, by far the largest producer of processed pumpkin, uses a proprietary strain of the Dickinson pumpkin variety of C. moschata for its canned pumpkin.[121] Other foods that can be made using members of this genus include biscuits, bread, cheesecake, desserts, donuts, granola, ice cream, lasagna dishes, pancakes, pudding, pumpkin butter,[122] salads, soups, and stuffing.[123] Squash soup is a dish in African cuisine.[124] The xerophytic species are proving useful in the search for nutritious foods that grow well in arid regions.[125] C. ficifolia is used to make soft and mildly alcoholic drinks.[9] In India, squashes (ghiya) are cooked with seafood such as prawns.[126] In France, marrows (courges) are traditionally served as a gratin, sieved and cooked with butter, milk, and egg, and flavored with salt, pepper, and nutmeg,[127] and as soups. In Italy, zucchini and larger squashes are served in a variety of regional dishes, such as cocuzze alla puviredda cooked with olive oil, salt and herbs from Apulia; as torta di zucca from Liguria, or torta di zucca e riso from Emilia-Romagna, the squashes being made into a pie filling with butter, ricotta, parmesan, egg, and milk; and as a sauce for pasta in dishes like spaghetti alle zucchine from Sicily.[128] In Japan, squashes such as small C. moschata pumpkins (kabocha) are eaten boiled with sesame sauce, fried as a tempura dish, or made into balls with sweet potato and Japanese mountain yam.[129] Art, music, and literature Squash carved into a teapot shape Moche squash ceramic. 300 C.E. Larco Museum. Along with maize and beans, squash has been depicted in the art work of the native peoples of the Americas for at least 2,000 years.[130][131] For example, cucurbits are often represented in Moche ceramics.[130][132] Though native to the western hemisphere, Cucurbita began to spread to other parts of the world after Christopher Columbus's arrival in the New World in 1492.[133][134] Until recently, the earliest known depictions of this genus in Europe was of Cucurbita pepo in De Historia Stirpium Commentarii Insignes in 1542 by the German botanist Leonhart Fuchs, but in 1992, two paintings, one of C. pepo and one of C. maxima, painted between 1515 and 1518, were identified in festoons at Villa Farnesina in Rome.[135] Also, in 2001 depictions of this genus were identified in Grandes Heures of Anne of Brittany (Les Grandes Heures d'Anne de Bretagne), a French devotional book, an illuminated manuscript created between 1503 and 1508. This book contains an illustration known as Quegourdes de turquie, which was identified by cucurbit specialists as C. pepo subsp. texana in 2006.[136] In 1952, Stanley Smith Master, using the pen name Edrich Siebert, wrote "The Marrow Song (Oh what a beauty!)" to a tune in 6 8 time. It became a popular hit in Australia in 1973,[137] and was revived by the Wurzels in Britain on their 2003 album Cutler of the West.[138][139] John Greenleaf Whittier wrote a poem entitled The Pumpkin in 1850.[140] "The Great Pumpkin" is a fictional holiday figure in the comic strip Peanuts by Charles M. Schulz...Festivals White, green, and orange squashes built into a Christmas tree shape A pyramid of squashes in the Waterlily House, Kew Gardens, 2013 Cucurbita fruits including pumpkins and marrows are celebrated in festivals in countries such as Argentina, Austria,[152] Bolivia,[153] Britain, Canada,[154] Croatia,[155] France,[156][157] Germany, India, Italy,[158][159][160][161] Japan,[162] Peru,[163] Portugal, Spain,[164] Switzerland,[165] and the United States. Argentina holds an annual nationwide pumpkin festival Fiesta Nacional del Zapallo ("Squashes and Pumpkins National Festival"), in Ceres, Santa Fe,[166] on the last day of which a Reina Nacional del Zapallo ("National Queen of the Pumpkin") is chosen.[167][168][169] In Portugal the Festival da Abóbora de Lourinhã e Atalaia ("Squashes and Pumpkins Festival in Lourinhã and Atalaia") is held in Lourinhã city, called the Capital Nacional da Abóbora (the "National Capital of Squashes and Pumpkins").[170] Ludwigsburg, Germany annually hosts the world's largest pumpkin festival.[171] In Britain a giant marrow (zucchini) weighing 54.3177 kilograms (119 lb 12 oz) was displayed in the Harrogate Autumn Flower Show in 2012.[172] In the US, pumpkin chucking is practiced competitively, with machines such as trebuchets and air cannons designed to throw intact pumpkins as far as possible.[173][174] The Keene Pumpkin Fest is held annually in New Hampshire; in 2013 it held the world record for the most jack-o-lanterns lit in one place, 30,581 on October 19, 2013.[175] Halloween is widely celebrated with jack-o-lanterns made of large orange pumpkins carved with ghoulish faces and illuminated from inside with candles.[176] The pumpkins used for jack-o-lanterns are C. pepo,[177][178] not to be confused with the ones typically used for pumpkin pie in the United States, which are C. moschata.[121] Kew Gardens marked Halloween in 2013 with a display of pumpkins, including a towering pyramid made of many varieties of squash, in the Waterlily House during its "IncrEdibles" festival." (wikipedia.org) "This is a list of harvest festivals around the world. A harvest festival is an annual celebration which occurs around the time of the main harvest of a given region. Given regional differences in climates and crops, harvest festivals can be found at various times throughout the world... Africa     Ikore: celebrated by the Yoruba people in Nigeria     Homowo: a harvest festival[1] celebrated by the Ga people of Ghana.     Incwala: celebrated by the people of Swaziland     New Yam Festival (Iwa ji): celebrated by the Igbo of Nigeria     Umkhosi Wokweshwama: celebrated by the Zulu people of South Africa Asia East Asia     Chuseok: Korea     Mid-Autumn Festival: China, Taiwan; the eighth full moon according to the lunar calendar     Niiname-sai, Shinjō-sai, Honen Matsuri, Tsukimi: Japan Indian subcontinent A traditional vishu kani setting, for the Vishu agricultural festival     Akhatrij (Akshaya Tritiya): celebrated in West India, especially the Gujarat, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Goa and Konkan regions     Nuakhai (Nuakhai): celebrated in Odisha, to welcome the new rice of the season. According to the Kosali calendar it is observed on panchami tithi (the fifth day) of the lunar fortnight of the month of Bhadrapada or Bhaadra (August–September), the day after the Ganesh Chaturthi festival.     Bhogali Bihu (or Magh Bihu): Assam, marks the end of harvesting season in mid-January     Chavang Kut: celebrated by the Kuki-chin group in North-east India on 1 November     Deepoli Parba: celebrated by the Tuluva people from Karnataka/Kerala, India     Dree Festival: agricultural festival of the Apatanis of Ziro valley in Lower Subansiri District of Arunachal Pradesh, celebrated from 4 to 7 July     Gudi Padwa: celebrated by the Marathi people in Maharashtra, Karnataka, India     Holi: Northwest India, especially Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Telangana, Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Gujarat     JurShital: Mithila (portion of Bihar and Nepal); 13 or 14 April     Kanyarkali: agricultural festival of the Malayalee Moothan, Nair and Tharakan communities of Chittur and Alathur thaluks of Palakkad in Kerala, India     Lohri: North India, especially Punjab     Monti Fest: celebrated on 8 September; celebrates the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary; in the Mangalorean Catholic community involves blessing of Novem (new crops)     Nabanna: Bengal region which comprises West Bengal, India, and Bangladesh     Onam and Vishu: agricultural festivals celebrated by Malayali people in Kerala and elsewhere in the world     Pongal: celebrated by the Tamil people in Tamil Nadu, India and other places     Puthari / Huthari: Coorg, Karnataka in south India     Sankranthi or Makar Sankranti: almost all regions of India, including Maharashtra, Gujarat, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal; celebrated in January; goes by different names in different states     Traditional New Year: celebration in Sri Lanka coincides with the harvest festival in mid-April     Ugadi: celebrated by Telugu people in Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Kannadigas in Karnataka, India     Agera: celebrated by East Indians in Mumbai; falls on the first Sunday of October.     Vishu is the harvest festival in Kerala and celebrated in April - usually April 14 or 15     Vaisakhi (or Baisakhi: celebrated by Punjabi people in Punjab, other parts of North India and elsewhere; falls on the first day of Vaisakh month (usually mid-April), and marks the Punjabi New Year     Pola or Without Amavasya: Celebrated by the farmers of Maharashtra on the last day of month of Shravan. Bullock worship is performed on this day.     Vasant Panchami: West India, especially Gujarat; celebrated in Nepal, West Bengal, and Bangladesh to invoke wisdom and consciousness; in the Punjab region, it is celebrated as the Basant Festival of kites     Tokhu Emong: celebrated among Lotha Tribe of Nagaland in India Southeast Asia Pacu jawi (bull race), Tanah Datar, Indonesia     Flores de Mayo: Philippines     Gawai Dayak: Sarawak, Malaysia and West Kalimtan, Indonesia     Kaamatan: Sabah in Malaysia     Kadayawan: Davao City, Philippines     Khuado: Zomi, Chin State, Myanmar[2]     Maras Taun: Belitung, Indonesia     Pacu jawi: Tanah Datar, Indonesia     Pahiyás: Lucban, Philippines     Tết Trung Thu: Vietnam Middle East     Hasyl toýy (or Hasyl Bayramy): Turkmenistan: traditionally last Sunday in November; observed second Sunday of November[3] since specified in the Labor Code c. 2017     Mehregan: Iran, Ancient Persia; 2 October     Sukkot: Jewish harvest festival lasting eight days in the autumn, in which time is spent in tabernacles or booths     Shavuot: Jewish harvest festival marking the wheat harvest in Israel     Alaverdoba and Rtveli: Georgia Europe Decoration for ‘thanksgiving’ (Erntedank) in a Catholic church in Upper Austria.     Bagach (Багач): Belarus     Bénichon: celebrated (usually by a huge seven-course menu) in Catholic parts of the French-speaking Switzerland; a combined harvest festival, thanksgiving and Rindya (the day when the animals are brought back from the high altitude pastures in the Alps and when all villagers are also therefore back); see fr:Bénichon     Dankdag voor Gewas en Arbeid: Netherlands, every first Wednesday of November; Thanksgiving Day for crop and labor     Dożynki: Poland / Dazhynki: Belarus[4] / Dožínky, Obžinky: Czech Republic / Обжинки (Obzhynky or Obzhynky): Ukraine / Обжинки (Obzhynki), Осенины (Oseniny) : Russia, a Slavic harvest festival celebrated in several central and eastern European countries     Erntedankfest (Harvest Thanksgiving): Germany and Austria; traditionally on the first Sunday after Michaelmas, this means 30 September or later. At present, Protestant and Catholic churches recommend the first Sunday in October.         Erntedankfest Düsseldorf-Urdenbach     Festa e Grurit (Wheat Festival): used to mark the end of the harvest of wheat in Communist Albania; no longer observed     Freyfaxi (August 1): marks the beginning of the harvest in Norse paganism; historically from Iceland, the celebration consists of blót, horse races, martial sports, and other events, often dedicated to the god Freyr     Guldize: Cornwall, United Kingdom     Harvest festival: United Kingdom     Kekri: an old Finnish feast celebrated at the beginning of November, corresponding to Halloween     Lammas or Lughnasadh: celebration of first harvest/grain harvest in Paganism and Wicca spirituality and by the ancient Celts; 1 August     Mabon (Autumnal Equinox): the second of three recognized harvest sabbats in Paganism and Wicca     Mhellia: Isle of Man     Miķeļdiena: harvest festival in Latvia; 29 September; signals the end of summer (Mikeli) National Harvest Thanksgiving ceremony in Poland's Jasna Góra Roman Catholic sanctuary in Częstochowa, Poland Presidential Harvest Festival in Spala, Poland     Прачыстая 'Prachystaya': Belarus     The Presidential Harvest Festival in Spała and Jasna Góra Harvest Festival: Poland, first week of September to begin the first week of October     Samhain: the third and final of three recognized harvest sabbats in Paganism and Wicca; celebration of the end of the harvest season and beginning of the Celtic New Year; 31 October     Savior of the Apple Feast Day: Russia, Ukraine; 19 August     Spice wreath / Cununa de spice: Romania; July     Szüreti Fesztivál or Szüreti Napok: literally "harvest festival" or "harvest days"; celebrated in various rural towns of Hungary     Timoleague: annual harvest festival held in August; Tigh Molaige in Irish The Americas Region     Festival     Date Prosser, Washington     Annual Harvest Festival     4th full weekend in September New Prague, Minnesota     Dozinky, traditional Czech festival     Canada     Thanksgiving (Quebec: Action de grâce)     second Monday in October United States     Thanksgiving     fourth Thursday in November New England region of the United States     Old Home Week     variable date in the fall season Caribbean     Crop Over: Barbados South America     Fiesta Nacional de la Vendimia: Argentina" (wikipedia.org) w The first recorded use of vanilla as a color name in English was in 1925.[18] Flax Main article: Flax (color) Flax #EEDC82 Flax   About these coordinates     Color coordinates Hex triplet    #EEDC82 sRGBB (r, g, b)    (238, 220, 130) HSV (h, s, v)    (50°, 45%, 93%) CIELChuv (L, C, h)    (87, 63, 75°) Source    Maerz and Paul[19] ISCC–NBS descriptor    Light greenish yellow B: Normalized to [0–255] (byte) The color flax is displayed at left. A patch of flax in Poland A patch of flax in Poland The first recorded use of flax as a color name in English was in 1915.[20] Navajo white Main article: Navajo white Navajo white #FFDEAD Navajo white   About these coordinates     Color coordinates Hex triplet    #FFDEAD sRGBB (r, g, b)    (255, 222, 173) HSV (h, s, v)    (36°, 32%, 100%) CIELChuv (L, C, h)    (90, 45, 58°) Source    X11[21] ISCC–NBS descriptor    Pale yellow B: Normalized to [0–255] (byte) Navajo white is a whitish orange color, and derives its name from its similarity to the background color of the Navajo Nation ethnic flag. Flag of the Navajo Nation Flag of the Navajo Nation In 1987, Navajo white was included as one of the X11 colors. Alabaster Alabaster #EDEAE0 Displayed at right is the color alabaster. It represents the whitish color of the mineral alabaster. Alabaster   About these coordinates     Color coordinates Hex triplet    #EDEAE0 sRGBB (r, g, b)    (237, 234, 224) HSV (h, s, v)    (46°, 5%, 93%) CIELChuv (L, C, h)    (93, 8, 74°) Source    [Unsourced] ISCC–NBS descriptor    Pale yellow green B: Normalized to [0–255] (byte)" (wikipedia.org) Alabaster has been used as a color in English since at least 1594 (in Shakespeare's The Rape of Lucrece), but the origin of the RGB coordinates is not known. " (wikipedia.org) "There are a variety of pumpkins across the world ranging in colors, sizes, shapes, and patterns. These festive squashes are used for anything from decoration to delicious meals! White pumpkins are one of those variations in color. Below is a list of 9 white pumpkin varieties that are sure to excite you for the holidays! When looking to eat a white pumpkin it is important to find trustworthy recipes to prepare your dishes. Be sure to clean and wash pumpkins to ensure safe consumption. White pumpkin variety    Is it edible?    Used for ‘Casper’     Yes    Decoration, baking ‘Silver Moon’     Yes    Decoration, seeds ‘Cotton Candy’     Yes    Decoration, baking ‘Baby Boo’     Yes    Decoration, cooking ‘Super Moon’     Yes    Decoration, cooking ‘Crystal Star’     Yes    Decoration, carving, cooking ‘White Connecticut Field’     Yes    Decoration, seeds, cooking ‘SnowBall’     Yes    Decoration, cooking ‘Hooligan’     Yes    Ornamental, seeds ‘Casper’ Casper pumpkins inside the basket The ‘Casper’ pumpkin originated in Central America. Due to its slow rise in popularity, there isn’t a lot of information about this pumpkin’s history. Originally created in the 1980s, this pumpkin has been widespread across the world and is commonly found in the United States today. This pumpkin may weigh between 10 and 16 pounds with bright white skin. The ‘Casper’ pumpkin is commonly used for decoration during the fall months. This pumpkin can also be used in the process of pumpkin pie. It grows to around 4-6 inches wide overall and is edible. ‘Silver Moon’ The ‘Silver Moon’ pumpkin originated in Australia and is found as a large indented flat sphere. The inside of this pumpkin is a bright orange/yellowish color that in some cases may resemble a cantaloupe. ‘Silver Moon’ is named for its bright white color and mysterious inside coloring and is used commonly for its seeds and fall decorations. This pumpkin weighs between 11 to 16 pounds and can grow up to 9 inches wide. This pumpkin is edible for consumption. ‘Cotton Candy’ ‘Cotton Candy’ pumpkin originated in Ohio. This pumpkin is a bright glossy white with sweet-flavored skin and insides. Weighing around 5-12 pounds, these pumpkins are perfect for the making of desserts. It is known that these pumpkins may have a milky, sweet taste that is similar to that of cotton candy, hence their name. The ‘Cotton Candy’ pumpkin is overall edible and can be used for both cooking purposes as well as decoration. ‘Baby Boo’ white pumpkins on a pink background The ‘Baby Boo’ pumpkin originated in Pennsylvania in the 1990s. These pumpkins were originally produced by a man named John Jaunsem from acorn squash. This pumpkin visually appears with bright white flesh. ‘Baby Boo’ commonly weighs around 1-2 pounds and can be 2 inches tall. These pumpkins are often used for fall seasons of decoration, small carvings, and in some cases in cooking. This pumpkin is named for its small size and popularity among fun fall decor. These pumpkins are edible for both cooking and baking. ‘Super Moon’ The ‘Super Moon’ pumpkin first originated in Central Asia among many other white pumpkin breeds. This pumpkin is large and round, making it perfect for carving, painting, and decoration! ‘Super Moon can weigh up to 23-36 pounds and be as wide as 7 inches. The ‘Super Moon’ pumpkin is perfect for eating. Their high seed count and soft exterior make them an ideal variety for cooking, baking, and carving! Be sure to use caution when cooking and consuming a pumpkin, make sure to clean it and cook it through to avoid consumption of harmful bacteria! ‘Crystal Star’ The ‘Crystal Star’ pumpkin first originated in Central Asia. Known for its bright white color, this pumpkin is surely named for its crystal white and shining skin that makes it one of the best pumpkin strains for decoration. These round pumpkins have the ability to grow up to 27-36 pounds and maybe 11 inches wide. ‘Crystal Star’ is commonly used for its decoration potential. Due to its large round surface, it is an ideal shape and size for pumpkin carving. It may also be used for painting, baking, and the production of seeds. ‘White Connecticut Field’ White ghost pumpkin on the ground ‘White Connecticut Field’ first originated in Vermont by a man named John Howland in 1870. This pumpkin is the result of growing seeds of unknown origin, one of which turned out to be white. This pumpkin is described as being soft-shelled with a dull white coloring. The ‘White Connecticut Field’ pumpkin on average weighs around 10-20 pounds and can be 8-10 inches wide. These pumpkins are edible and may be used for anything from eating to seed production to carving, to even plain decoration for the holidays. ‘Snowball’ Snowball pumpkins inside a wooden box ‘Snowball’ pumpkins are a lesser snow-white pumpkin breed but are nonetheless beautiful. Like the name, this pumpkin is commonly a bright white color such as that resembling snow. This pumpkin is flat and round. In addition, these pumpkins are edible. The ‘Snowball’ pumpkin is small, like holding a snowball, and can be used for decoration during fall months, and in some cases, baking. This pumpkin is commonly 1-2 pounds. ‘Snowball’ has been described as tasting like a normal pumpkin with sweet bites and crunchy seeds. If you are looking to prepare this pumpkin in any dish, be wary of cooking and washing the fruit before consuming it to ensure safety. ‘Hooligan’ The ‘Hooligan’ pumpkin first originated in Central Asia, a hybrid between the miniature pumpkin and the ‘Yellow Page’ pumpkin. This leads to a pumpkin that is not purely white, but one with spots, color, and patterns to add to its overall uniqueness. The ‘Hooligan’ pumpkin on average grows up to 2” inches tall, weighing around 2-3 pounds. This pumpkin is commonly used for decoration and in some cases for baked snacks. This small yet gorgeous squash is used for its ornamental design and in some cases for its seeds inside. top view photo of Yellow and white pumpkin Difference Between Yellow and White Pumpkins Yellow and white pumpkins have similarities and differences that make them unique and may make all the difference between taste and texture. The yellow pumpkin originates from France. They commonly weigh between 40-50 pounds depending on the growth environment. The white pumpkin originated in Central America and may weigh 12 and 15 pounds, again depending on their growing environment. The main difference between white and yellow pumpkins is found within the skin.     White pumpkins may be prone to higher rates of mold more quickly, and blemishes on the skin. Yellow pumpkins have a smoother surface and are known to rot at a less frequent pace. Besides the difference in these pumpkin’s skin, both white and yellow pumpkins taste identical. The true difference is in the coloring of the skin." (crateandbasket.com) "Autumn, also known as fall in American English and Canadian English,[1] is one of the four temperate seasons on Earth. Outside the tropics, autumn marks the transition from summer to winter, in September (Northern Hemisphere) or March (Southern Hemisphere). Autumn is the season when the duration of daylight becomes noticeably shorter and the temperature cools considerably. Day length decreases and night length increases as the season progresses until the Winter Solstice in December (Northern Hemisphere) and June (Southern Hemisphere). One of its main features in temperate climates is the striking change in colour for the leaves of deciduous trees as they prepare to shed.... Date definitions Some cultures regard the autumnal equinox as "mid-autumn", while others with a longer temperature lag treat the equinox as the start of autumn.[2] In the English-speaking world of high latitude countries, autumn traditionally began with Lammas Day and ended around Hallowe'en, the approximate mid-points between midsummer, the autumnal equinox, and midwinter. Meteorologists (and Australia[3][4] and most of the temperate countries in the southern hemisphere)[5][6] use a definition based on Gregorian calendar months, with autumn being September, October, and November in the northern hemisphere,[7] and March, April, and May in the southern hemisphere. In the higher latitude countries in the Northern Hemisphere, autumn traditionally starts with the September equinox (21 to 24 September)[8] and ends with the winter solstice (21 or 22 December).[9] Popular culture in the United States associates Labor Day, the first Monday in September, as the end of summer and the start of autumn; certain summer traditions, such as wearing white, are discouraged after that date.[10] As daytime and nighttime temperatures decrease, trees change colour and then shed their leaves.[11] Under the traditional East Asian solar term system, autumn starts on or around 8 August and ends on or about 7 November. In Ireland, the autumn months according to the national meteorological service, Met Éireann, are September, October, and November.[12] However, according to the Irish Calendar, which is based on ancient Gaelic traditions, autumn lasts throughout the months of August, September, and October, or possibly a few days later, depending on tradition. In the Irish language, September is known as Meán Fómhair ("middle of autumn") and October as Deireadh Fómhair ("end of autumn").[13][14] Persians celebrate the beginning of the autumn as Mehregan to honor Mithra (Mehr). Etymology Autumnal scene with yellow, orange, and red leaves Autumnal scene with yellow, orange, and red leaves Leaves falling from the trees during autumn in the forest 2:38 Sound of leaves on trees and fallen on the ground Problems playing this file? See media help. The word autumn (/ˈɔːtəm/) is derived from Latin autumnus, archaic auctumnus, possibly from the ancient Etruscan root autu- and has within it connotations of the passing of the year.[15] Alternative etymologies include Proto-Indo-European *h₃ewǵ- ("cold") or *h₂sows- ("dry").[16] After the Greek era, the word continued to be used as the Old French word autompne (automne in modern French) or autumpne in Middle English,[17] and was later normalised to the original Latin. In the Medieval period, there are rare examples of its use as early as the 12th century, but by the 16th century, it was in common use. Before the 16th century, harvest was the term usually used to refer to the season, as it is common in other West Germanic languages to this day (cf. Dutch herfst, German Herbst, and Scots hairst). However, as more people gradually moved from working the land to living in towns, the word harvest lost its reference to the time of year and came to refer only to the actual activity of reaping, and autumn, as well as fall, began to replace it as a reference to the season.[18][19][better source needed] The alternative word fall for the season traces its origins to old Germanic languages. The exact derivation is unclear, with the Old English fiæll or feallan and the Old Norse fall all being possible candidates. However, these words all have the meaning "to fall from a height" and are clearly derived either from a common root or from each other. The term came to denote the season in 16th-century England, a contraction of Middle English expressions like "fall of the leaf" and "fall of the year". Compare the origin of spring from "spring of the leaf" and "spring of the year".[20] During the 17th century, Englishmen began emigrating to the new North American colonies, and the settlers took the English language with them. While the term fall gradually became nearly obsolete in Britain, it became the more common term in North America.[21] The name backend, a once common name for the season in Northern England, has today been largely replaced by the name autumn.[22] Associations Harvest Association with the transition from warm to cold weather, and its related status as the season of the primary harvest, has dominated its themes and popular images. In Western cultures, personifications of autumn are usually pretty, well-fed females adorned with fruits, vegetables and grains that ripen at this time. Many cultures feature autumnal harvest festivals, often the most important on their calendars. Still-extant echoes of these celebrations are found in the autumn Thanksgiving holiday of the United States and Canada, and the Jewish Sukkot holiday with its roots as a full-moon harvest festival of "tabernacles" (living in outdoor huts around the time of harvest). There are also the many festivals celebrated by indigenous peoples of the Americas tied to the harvest of ripe foods gathered in the wild, the Chinese Mid-Autumn or Moon festival, and many others. The predominant mood of these autumnal celebrations is a gladness for the fruits of the earth mixed with a certain melancholy linked to the imminent arrival of harsh weather. This view is presented in English poet John Keats' poem To Autumn, where he describes the season as a time of bounteous fecundity, a time of 'mellow fruitfulness'. In North America, while most foods are harvested during the autumn, foods usually associated with the season include pumpkins (which are integral parts of both Thanksgiving and Halloween) and apples, which are used to make the seasonal beverage apple cider. Melancholia "Jesień" (Autumn) Józef Chełmoński picture of 1875 presenting a typical view of autumn in Polish 19th century countryside Autumn, especially in poetry, has often been associated with melancholia. The possibilities and opportunities of summer are gone, and the chill of winter is on the horizon. Skies turn grey, the amount of usable daylight drops rapidly, and many people turn inward, both physically and mentally.[23] It has been referred to as an unhealthy season.[24] Similar examples may be found in Irish poet W.B. Yeats' poem The Wild Swans at Coole where the maturing season that the poet observes symbolically represents his own ageing self. Like the natural world that he observes, he too has reached his prime and now must look forward to the inevitability of old age and death. French poet Paul Verlaine's "Chanson d'automne" ("Autumn Song") is likewise characterised by strong, painful feelings of sorrow. Keats' To Autumn, written in September 1819, echoes this sense of melancholic reflection but also emphasises the lush abundance of the season. The song "Autumn Leaves", based on the French song "Les Feuilles mortes", uses the melancholic atmosphere of the season and the end of summer as a metaphor for the mood of being separated from a loved one.[25] Halloween Autumn is associated with Halloween (influenced by Samhain, a Celtic autumn festival),[26] and with it a widespread marketing campaign that promotes it. The Celtic people also used this time to celebrate the harvest with a time of feasting. At the same time though, it was a celebration of death as well. Crops were harvested, livestock were butchered, and Winter was coming.[27] Halloween, 31 October, is in autumn in the northern hemisphere. Television, film, book, costume, home decoration, and confectionery businesses use this time of year to promote products closely associated with such a holiday, with promotions going from late August or early September to 31 October, since their themes rapidly lose strength once the holiday ends, and advertising starts concentrating on Christmas. Other associations In some parts of the northern hemisphere, autumn has a strong association with the end of summer holiday and the start of a new school year, particularly for children in primary and secondary education. "Back to School" advertising and preparations usually occurs in the weeks leading to the beginning of autumn. Thanksgiving Day is a national holiday celebrated in Canada, in the United States, in some of the Caribbean islands and in Liberia. Thanksgiving is celebrated on the second Monday of October in Canada, on the fourth Thursday of November in the United States (where it is commonly regarded as the start of the Christmas and holiday season), and around the same part of the year in other places. Similarly named festival holidays occur in Germany and Japan. Television stations and networks, particularly in North America, traditionally begin their regular seasons in their autumn, with new series and new episodes of existing series debuting mostly during late September or early October (series that debut outside the autumn season are usually known as mid-season replacements). A sweeps period takes place in November to measure Nielsen Ratings. American football is played almost exclusively in the autumn months; at the high school level, seasons run from late August through early November, with some playoff games and holiday rivalry contests being played as late as Thanksgiving. In many American states, the championship games take place in early December. College football's regular season runs from September through November, while the main professional circuit, the National Football League, plays from September through to early January. Summer sports, such as association football (in Northern America, East Asia, Argentina, and South Africa), Canadian football, stock car racing, tennis, golf, cricket, and professional baseball, wrap up their seasons in early to late autumn; Major League Baseball's championship World Series is popularly known as the "Fall Classic".[28] (Amateur baseball is usually finished by August.) Likewise, professional winter sports, such as ice hockey and basketball, and most leagues of association football in Europe, are in the early stages of their seasons during autumn; American college basketball and college ice hockey play teams outside their athletic conferences during the late autumn before their in-conference schedules begin in winter. The Christian religious holidays of All Saints' Day and All Souls' Day are observed in autumn in the Northern hemisphere. Easter falls in autumn in the southern hemisphere. The secular celebration of International Workers' Day also falls in autumn in the southern hemisphere. Since 1997, Autumn has been one of the top 100 names for girls in the United States.[29] In Indian mythology, autumn is considered to be the preferred season for the goddess of learning Saraswati, who is also known by the name of "goddess of autumn" (Sharada). In Asian mysticism, Autumn is associated with the element of metal, and subsequently with the colour white, the White Tiger of the West, and death and mourning. Tourism Autumn colouration at the Kalevanpuisto park in Pori, Finland. See also: Leaf peeping Although colour change in leaves occurs wherever deciduous trees are found, coloured autumn foliage is noted in various regions of the world: most of North America, Eastern Asia (including China, Korea, and Japan), Europe, southeast, south, and part of the midwest of Brazil,[30][31] the forest of Patagonia, eastern Australia and New Zealand's South Island. Eastern Canada and New England are famous for their autumnal foliage,[32][33] and this attracts major tourism (worth billions of US dollars) for the regions." (wikipedia.org) Kohl's (stylized in all caps) is an American department store retail chain, operated by Kohl's Corporation. As of December 2021 it is the largest department store chain in the United States, with 1,162 locations, operating stores in every U.S. state except Hawaii. The company was founded by Polish immigrant Maxwell Kohl, who opened a corner grocery store in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in 1927.[5][6] It went on to become a successful chain in the local area, and in 1962 the company branched out by opening its first department store.[7] British American Tobacco Company took a controlling interest in the company in 1972 while still managed by the Kohl Family, and in 1979, the corporation was sold to BATUS Inc. A group of investors purchased the company in 1986 from British American Tobacco and took it public in 1992. Kohl's is headquartered in the Milwaukee suburb of Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin.[1] It became the largest department store chain in the United States in May 2012, surpassing its biggest competitor J. C. Penney.[8] The company is listed on both the S&P 400 and the Fortune 500.[9] In terms of revenue, the chain was the 23rd-largest retailer in the United States in 2019.[10] As of 2013, Kohl's was the second-largest U.S. department store company by retail sales.... History See also: Kohl's Food Stores The exterior of a typical Kohl's department store in Beaverton, Oregon Maxwell Kohl, who had operated traditional grocery stores since 1927, built his first supermarket in 1946, the first in what would become a southeastern Wisconsin chain known as Kohl's Food Stores.[12] In September 1962, after building Kohl's Food Stores into the largest supermarket chain in the Milwaukee area, Kohl opened his first department store in Brookfield, Wisconsin. He positioned Kohl's between the higher-end department stores and the discounters, selling everything from candy to engine oil to sporting equipment. In 1972, the British American Tobacco Company's U.S. retail division, Batus Inc., bought a controlling interest in Kohl's Corporation, which at the time operated 50 grocery stores, six department stores, three drug stores, and three liquor stores.[13][14] The Kohl family, led by Allen Kohl and Herb Kohl, continued to manage the company. Herb Kohl left the management in 1979,[15] eventually becoming a United States senator and owner of the Milwaukee Bucks. The firm then expanded Kohl's presence from 10 to 39 stores in Wisconsin, Illinois and Indiana. The grocery stores were sold to A&P in 1983,[16][17] operating under the name Kohl's Food Store, and later Kohl's Food Emporium. In February 2003, A&P put the Kohl's Food Stores up for sale,[18] as part of an effort to reduce debt. That same year, A&P closed all Kohl's Food Stores locations and the Kohl family left remaining management.[19][20] A group of investors, led by the senior management, purchased the company in 1986.[21] Building on the existing 40 department stores, the company added 27 more stores over the next two years. In 1988, the chain acquired 26 locations from the Chicago-based retailer MainStreet, gaining several stores in Chicago's suburbs, the Twin Cities, and Michigan.[22][23] Kohl's completed its initial public offering on May 19, 1992 and began trading on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol KSS.[24][25] During the 2000s, Kohl's expanded nationwide to 49 states. Building from 76 stores in the Midwest in 1992, Kohl's expanded into the New York metropolitan area in 2000 after Caldor was liquidated. The chain later expanded into California in 2003 with 28 new stores, the Pacific Northwest in 2006 with 10 new stores, and the Southeast with 43 new stores opening between 2005 and 2008.[26] To raise money to repurchase its stock and open new stores, Kohl's sold its credit card division in 2006 to J.P. Morgan Chase for $1.5 billion.[27] In 2011, Kohl's replaced Chase with Capital One as their private credit card processing partner for an undisclosed sum.[28] In 2016, Kohl's added the Capital One backed private label Kohl's Card to the Kohl's App to create Kohl's Pay - the first integrated mobile checkout solution for a retailer in US, combining Kohl's Card, Kohl's Cash, Kohl's Yes-2-You Rewards and Kohl's coupons into a single QR Code Payment, with technology powered by Omnyway, Inc (né OmnyPay),[29] a Silicon Valley startup.[30][31] That same year, Kohl's became the first retailer to include Kohl's Card and Kohl's Rewards in one tap payments with Apple Pay.[32][33] Kohl's in Huntington Beach, California (formerly The Broadway) Kohl's hired New York City advertising agency DeVito/Verdi in 2009 to strengthen the Kohl's brand via a series of national television, online, and social media campaigns.[34] The same year, Newsweek magazine ranked the company 18th overall and first in its industry in its "Green Rankings",[35] an examination of 500 of the largest corporations on their environmental track records. Newsweek remarked that Kohl's had the largest solar power program of any retailer globally, it pursues green building certification, and over 78 locations in six states have solar panels. Kohl's had also begun to sell reusable shopping bags the previous year.[36] Kohl's was awarded $62.5 million in tax credits from the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation in 2012. The retailer was to create 3,000 jobs with the funds, but only created 473.[37] In the same year, Kohl's requested financing from the village of Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin, to fund the construction of its new headquarters there. Kohl's received $2 million, the first of five installments that was to equal a total payout of $12 million, but ultimately backed out of the transaction.[38] In 2015, the company opened the first test store of Off/Aisle, a chain built around selling like-new clothing, home goods, jewelry, and accessories that were purchased and returned at Kohl's stores. The stores sold items at discounted prices, and had a more restrictive return policy than typical Kohl's stores.[39] The Off/Aisle stores were ultimately closed in 2019.[40] In early January 2017, Kohl's shares fell 19% in value, in what The Wall Street Journal said was "the stock's worst day on record," and noted that it was a noticeable exception to the overall declining volatility of the market.[41] The company ranked 157th on the 2018 Fortune 500, the annual list of the largest United States corporations, having earned revenues of $19.095 billion in 2017.[42] In that year, Kohl's entered into a partnership with Amazon, which included a program where select stores would accept Amazon returns; in 2019 it was expanded nationwide.[43] In 2018, Kohl's announced a pilot program to lease space to grocer Aldi and, the following year, to fitness center Planet Fitness, alongside up to 10 stores each.[44] On March 16, 2022, it was announced that Hudson's Bay Company and Sycamore Partners were considering bids to buy Kohl's, which its shares jumped 17%.[45] On April 25, 2022, it was announced that Simon Property Group and Brookfield Asset Management, the owners of JCPenney, had set an offer to buy Kohl's.[46] In June 2022, the Franchise Group considered making a bid for the ownership of Kohl's which might result in the sale of the real estate that Kohl's own to fund the acquisition by the Franchise Group.[47][48] Kohl's ultimately withdrew from the deal after Franchise Group lowered their bid for the company after finding out that Kohl's had downgraded its outlook for the second fiscal quarter for the company as a result of "softer consumer spending amid decades-high inflation"." (wikipedia.org) "Thanksgiving is a national holiday celebrated on various dates in the United States, Canada, Grenada, Saint Lucia, and Liberia. It began as a day of giving thanks for the blessing of the harvest and of the preceding year. Similarly named festival holidays occur in Germany and Japan. Thanksgiving is celebrated on the second Monday of October in Canada and on the fourth Thursday of November in the United States and around the same part of the year in other places. Although Thanksgiving has historical roots in religious and cultural traditions, it has long been celebrated as a secular holiday as well.... History Prayers of thanks and special thanksgiving ceremonies are common among most religions after harvests and at other times.[1] The Thanksgiving holiday's history in North America is rooted in English traditions dating from the Protestant Reformation. It also has aspects of a harvest festival, even though the harvest in New England occurs well before the late-November date on which the modern Thanksgiving holiday is celebrated.[1][2] In the English tradition, days of thanksgiving and special thanksgiving religious services became important during the English Reformation in the reign of Henry VIII.[3] Before 1536 there were 95 Church holidays, plus 52 Sundays, when people were required to attend church and forego work. Though the 1536 reforms in the Church of England reduced the number of holidays in the liturgical calendar to 27, the Puritan party in the Anglican Church wished to eliminate all Church holidays apart from the weekly Lord's Day, including the evangelical feasts of Christmas and Easter (cf. Puritan Sabbatarianism).[3] The holidays were to be replaced by specially called Days of Fasting and Days of Thanksgiving, in response to events that the Puritans viewed as acts of special providence. Unexpected disasters or threats of judgement from on high called for Days of Fasting.[4][3] Special blessings, viewed as coming from God, called for Days of Thanksgiving, which were observed through Christian church services and other gatherings.[3] For example, Days of thanksgiving were called following the victory over the Spanish Armada in 1588 and following the deliverance of Queen Anne in 1605.[4] An unusual annual Day of Thanksgiving began in 1606 following the failure of the Gunpowder Plot in 1605 and developed into Guy Fawkes Day on November 5.[4] Days of Fasting were called on account of plagues in 1604 and 1622, drought in 1611, and floods in 1613. Annual Thanksgiving prayers were dictated by the charter of English settlers upon their safe landing in America in 1619 at Berkeley Hundred in Virginia.[5] In Canada Main article: Thanksgiving (Canada) According to some historians, the first celebration of Thanksgiving in North America occurred during the 1578 voyage of Martin Frobisher from England in search of the Northwest Passage.[6] Other researchers, however, state that "there is no compelling narrative of the origins of the Canadian Thanksgiving day."[7] Antecedents for Canadian Thanksgiving are also sometimes traced to the French settlers who came to New France in the 17th century, who celebrated their successful harvests. The French settlers in the area typically had feasts at the end of the harvest season. They continued throughout the winter season, even sharing food with the indigenous peoples of the area.[8] As settlers arrived in Nova Scotia from New England after 1700, late autumn Thanksgiving celebrations became commonplace. New immigrants into the country—such as the Irish, Scottish, and Germans—also added their own traditions to the harvest celebrations. Most of the U.S. aspects of Thanksgiving (such as the turkey) were incorporated when United Empire Loyalists began to flee from the United States during and after the American Revolution and settled in Canada.[8] In 1859, the government of the Provinces of Canada declared a Thanksgiving Day in which "all Canadians [were asked] to spend the holiday in 'public and solemn' recognition of God's mercies."[9] On 9 October 1879, Canada's Governor General, the Marquis of Lorne, declared November 6 as "a day of General Thanksgiving to Almighty God for the bountiful harvest with which Canada has been blessed."[9] The Canadian Parliament on 31 January 1957 applied the same language in its proclamation for the modern holiday: "A Day of General Thanksgiving to Almighty God for the bountiful harvest with which Canada has been blessed—to be observed on the second Monday in October."[10] In the United States Main article: Thanksgiving (United States) Jennie Augusta Brownscombe, The First Thanksgiving at Plymouth, 1914, Pilgrim Hall Museum, Plymouth, Massachusetts Jennie Augusta Brownscombe, Thanksgiving at Plymouth, 1925, National Museum of Women in the Arts, Washington, D.C. The annual Thanksgiving holiday tradition in the United States is documented at its earliest in 1619, in what is now called the Commonwealth of Virginia. Thirty-eight English settlers aboard the ship Margaret arrived by way of the James River at Berkeley Hundred in Charles City County, Virginia on December 4, 1619. The landing was immediately followed by a religious celebration, specifically dictated by the group's charter from the London Company. The charter declared, "that the day of our ships arrival at the place assigned for plantation in the land of Virginia shall be yearly and perpetually kept holy as a day of thanksgiving to Almighty God."[11][5] Since the mid 20th century, the original celebration has been commemorated there annually at present-day Berkeley Plantation, ancestral home of the Harrison family.[12] The more familiar Thanksgiving precedent is traced to the Pilgrims and Puritans who emigrated from England in the 1620s and 1630s. They brought their previous tradition of Days of Fasting and Days of Thanksgiving with them to New England. The 1621 Plymouth, Massachusetts thanksgiving was prompted by a good harvest. The Pilgrims celebrated this with the Wampanoags, a tribe of Native Americans who, along with the last surviving Patuxet, had helped them get through the previous winter by giving them food in that time of scarcity, in exchange for an alliance and protection against the rival Narragansett tribe.[13] Several days of Thanksgiving were held in early New England history that have been identified as the "First Thanksgiving", including Pilgrim holidays in Plymouth in 1621 and 1623, and a Puritan holiday in Boston in 1631.[14][15] According to historian Jeremy Bangs, director of the Leiden American Pilgrim Museum, the Pilgrims may have been influenced by watching the annual services of Thanksgiving for the relief of the siege of Leiden in 1574, while they were staying in Leiden.[16] Now called 3 Oktoberfeest, Leiden's autumn thanksgiving celebration in 1617 was the occasion for sectarian disturbance that appears to have accelerated the pilgrims' plans to emigrate to America.[17] Later in New England, religious thanksgiving services were declared by civil leaders such as Governor Bradford, who planned the Plymouth colony's thanksgiving celebration and feast in 1623.[18][19][20] Bradford issued a proclamation of Thanksgiving following victory in the Pequot War in the late 1630s to celebrate "the bloody victory, thanking God that the battle had been won."[21][22] The practice of holding an annual harvest festival did not become a regular affair in New England until the late 1660s.[23] Thanksgiving proclamations were made mostly by church leaders in New England up until 1682, and then by both state and church leaders until after the American Revolution. During the revolutionary period, political influences affected the issuance of Thanksgiving proclamations. Various proclamations were made by royal governors, and conversely by patriot leaders, such as John Hancock, General George Washington, and the Continental Congress,[24] each giving thanks to God for events favorable to their causes.[25] As President of the United States, George Washington proclaimed the first nationwide thanksgiving celebration in America marking November 26, 1789, "as a day of public thanksgiving and prayer, to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many and signal favours of Almighty God",[26] and calling on Americans to "unite in most humbly offering our prayers and supplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations and beseech him to pardon our national and other transgressions."[27] Debate over first celebrations Shrine of the first U.S. Thanksgiving in 1619 at Berkeley Hundred in Charles City County, Virginia Devotees in New England and Virginia and other places have maintained contradictory claims to having held the first Thanksgiving celebration in what became the United States. The question is complicated by the concept of Thanksgiving as either a holiday celebration or a religious service. James Baker maintains, "The American holiday's true origin was the New England Calvinist Thanksgiving. Never coupled with a Sabbath meeting, the Puritan observances were special days set aside during the week for thanksgiving and praise in response to God's providence."[14] Baker calls the debate a "tempest in a beanpot" and "marvelous nonsense" based on regional claims.[14] In 1963, President John F. Kennedy acknowledged both the Virginia and Massachusetts claims. Kennedy issued Proclamation 3560 on November 5, 1963, stating, "Over three centuries ago, our forefathers in Virginia and in Massachusetts, far from home in a lonely wilderness, set aside a time of thanksgiving. On the appointed day, they gave reverent thanks for their safety, for the health of their children, for the fertility of their fields, for the love which bound them together, and for the faith which united them with their God."[28] Other claims include an earlier religious service by Spanish explorers in Texas at San Elizario in 1598.[29] Historians Robyn Gioia and Michael Gannon of the University of Florida argue that the earliest Thanksgiving service in what is now the United States was celebrated by the Spanish community on September 8, 1565, in current Saint Augustine, Florida.[30][31] Fixing a date Canada The earlier Thanksgiving celebrations in Canada has been attributed to the earlier onset of winter in the North, thus ending the harvest season earlier.[32] Thanksgiving in Canada did not have a fixed date until the late 19th century. Prior to Canadian Confederation, many of the individual colonial governors of the Canadian provinces had declared their own days of Thanksgiving. The first official Canadian Thanksgiving occurred on April 15, 1872, when the nation was celebrating the Prince of Wales' recovery from a serious illness.[32] By the end of the 19th century, Thanksgiving Day was normally celebrated on November 6. In the late 19th century, the Militia staged "sham battles" for public entertainment on Thanksgiving Day. The Militia agitated for an earlier date for the holiday, so they could use the warmer weather to draw bigger crowds.[33] However, when the First World War ended, the Armistice Day holiday was usually held during the same week. To prevent the two holidays from clashing with one another, in 1957 the Canadian Parliament proclaimed Thanksgiving to be observed on its present date on the second Monday of October.[8] United States Thanksgiving in the United States has been observed on differing dates. From the time of the Founding Fathers until the time of Lincoln, the date of observance varied from state to state. The final Thursday in November had become the customary date in most U.S. states by the beginning of the 19th century, coinciding with, and eventually superseding the holiday of Evacuation Day (commemorating the day the British exited the United States after the Revolutionary War).[34] Modern Thanksgiving was proclaimed for all states in 1863 by Abraham Lincoln. Influenced by Sarah Josepha Hale, who wrote letters to politicians for approximately 40 years advocating an official holiday, Lincoln set national Thanksgiving by proclamation for the final Thursday in November in celebration of the bounties that had continued to fall on the Union and for the military successes in the war, also calling on the American people, "with humble penitence for our national perverseness and disobedience .. fervently implore the interposition of the Almighty hand to heal the wounds of the nation..."[35] Because of the ongoing Civil War, a nationwide Thanksgiving celebration was not realized until Reconstruction was completed in the 1870s. On October 31, 1939, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed a presidential proclamation changing the holiday to the next to last Thursday in November in an effort to boost the economy.[36] The earlier date created an extra seven days for Christmas shopping since at that time retailers never began promoting the Christmas season until after Thanksgiving. But making the proclamation so close to the change wreaked havoc on the holiday schedules of many people, schools, and businesses, and most Americans were not in favor of the change. Some of those who opposed dubbed the holiday "Franksgiving" that year. Some state governors went along with the change while others stuck with the original November 30 date for the holiday, and three states — Colorado, Mississippi, and Texas — observed both dates.[37] The double Thanksgiving continued for two more years, and then on December 26, 1941, Roosevelt signed a joint resolution of Congress changing the official national Thanksgiving Day to the fourth Thursday in November starting in 1942.[38] Since 1971, when the American Uniform Monday Holiday Act took effect, the American observance of Columbus Day has coincided with the Canadian observance of Thanksgiving.[39][40] Observance Australia In the Australian external territory of Norfolk Island, Thanksgiving is celebrated on the last Wednesday of November, similar to the pre–World War II American observance on the last Thursday of the month. This means the Norfolk Island observance is the day before or six days after the United States' observance. The holiday was brought to the island by visiting American whaling ships.[41] Brazil In Brazil, National Thanksgiving Day was instituted by President Gaspar Dutra, through Law 781 of August 17, 1949, at the suggestion of Ambassador Joaquim Nabuco, who was enthusiastic about the commemorations he saw in 1909 in St. Patrick's Cathedral as an ambassador in Washington. In 1966, Law 5110 established that the Thanksgiving celebration would take place on the fourth Thursday of November.[42] This date is celebrated by many families of American origin, by some Protestant Christian denominations, such as the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Brazil (which is of American origin), the Presbyterian Church, the Baptist Church, the Methodist Church, and the Church of the Nazarene, and Methodist denominational universities. The day is also celebrated by evangelical churches such as the Foursquare Gospel Church in Brazil. Canada Main article: Thanksgiving (Canada) Pumpkin pie is commonly served on and around Thanksgiving in North America. Thanksgiving (French: l'Action de grâce), occurring on the second Monday in October, is an annual Canadian holiday to give thanks at the close of the harvest season. Although the original act of Parliament references God and the holiday is celebrated in churches, the holiday is mostly celebrated in a secular manner. Thanksgiving is a statutory holiday in all provinces in Canada, except for New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. While businesses may remain open in these provinces, the holiday is nonetheless recognized and celebrated regardless of its status.[43][44][45][46][47] Grenada In the West Indian island of Grenada, in the Caribbean, there is a national holiday known as Thanksgiving Day which is celebrated on October 25. Even though it bears the same name, and is celebrated at roughly the same time as the American and Canadian versions of Thanksgiving, this holiday is unrelated to either of those celebrations. Instead, the holiday marks the anniversary of the U.S.-led invasion of the island in 1983, in response to the deposition and execution of the socialist Grenadian Prime Minister Maurice Bishop[48] by a military government from within his own party. Liberia In the West African country of Liberia, Thanksgiving is celebrated on the first Thursday of November.[49] In 1883, the Legislature of Liberia enacted a statute declaring this day as a national holiday.[50] Thanksgiving is celebrated in the country in large part due to the nation's founding as a colony of the American Colonization Society in 1821 by former slaves and free people of color from the United States. However, the Liberian celebration of the holiday is notably different from the American celebration. While some Liberian families chose to celebrate with a feast or cook out, it is not considered a staple of the holiday and there is no specific food heavily associated with Thanksgiving. Some chose to celebrate the holiday by attending religious ceremonies, while others take it as a day for relaxation. Others view the holiday as an imposition from the American settlers of the country. In the years following the second civil war, some Liberians have taken the holiday as a time to be thankful for this new period peace and relative stability.[51][52] Netherlands Pieterskerk Many of the Pilgrims who migrated to the Plymouth Plantation resided in the city of Leiden from 1609 to 1620 and had recorded their births, marriages, and deaths at the Pieterskerk (St. Peter's church). In commemoration, a non-denominational Thanksgiving Day service is held each year on the morning of the American Thanksgiving Day in the Pieterskerk, a Gothic church in Leiden, noting the hospitality the Pilgrims received in Leiden on their way to the New World.[53] Thanksgiving is observed by orthodox Protestant churches in the Netherlands on the first Wednesday in November (Dankdag [nl]). It is not a public holiday. Those who observe the day either go to church in the evening or take the day off and go to church in the morning (and occasionally afternoon) too. Philippines The Philippines, while it was an American colony in the first half of the 20th century, celebrated Thanksgiving as a special public holiday on the same day as the Americans. During the Japanese occupation during World War II, both the Americans and Filipinos celebrated Thanksgiving in secret. After Japanese withdrawal in 1945, the tradition continued until 1969. It was revived by President Ferdinand Marcos, but the date was changed to be on every September 21, when martial law was imposed in the country. After Marcos' ouster in 1986, the tradition was no longer continued, due to the controversial events that occurred during his long administration.[54] As of 2022, Thanksgiving has been revived as a commercial and cultural holiday, albeit stripped of its official status. SM Supermalls led the way in the slow revival of Thanksgiving Day on the same day as in the U.S., as in the old days. Many malls and hotels offer special sales on this day, which is part of the long celebration of Christmas in the Philippines, which begins in September (unlike on Black Friday in the United States). Rwanda Main article: Public holidays in Rwanda Called Umuganura Day, this is a Thanksgiving festival to mark the start of the harvest in Rwanda. It is celebrated on the first Friday of August.[55] Saint Lucia The nation of Saint Lucia celebrates Thanksgiving on the first Monday in October.[56] United States Family saying grace before Thanksgiving dinner in Neffsville, Pennsylvania, 1942 Main article: Thanksgiving (United States) Thanksgiving, celebrated on the fourth Thursday in November since 1941 due to federal legislation, has been an annual tradition in the United States by presidential proclamation since 1863 and by state legislation since the Founding Fathers of the United States. Traditionally, Thanksgiving has been a celebration of the blessings of the year, including the harvest.[57] On Thanksgiving Day, it is common for Americans to share a family meal, attend church services, and view special sporting events.[58] In addition, Thanksgiving is celebrated in public places with parades such as Macy's Thanksgiving Parade[59] in New York City, ABC Dunkin' Donuts Thanksgiving Day Parade[60] in Philadelphia, America's Hometown Thanksgiving Parade in Plymouth, Massachusetts, McDonald's Thanksgiving Parade in Chicago, and Bayou Classic Thanksgiving Parade[61] in New Orleans. What Americans call the "Holiday Season" generally begins with Thanksgiving.[62] The first day after Thanksgiving Day—Black Friday—marks the start of the Christmas shopping season.[63] Thanksgiving is usually celebrated with a family meal. Beginning in the 2010s, a new tradition has emerged to also celebrate Thanksgiving with a meal with friends, as a separate event. This is referred to as Friendsgiving.[64] Similarly named holidays See also: List of harvest festivals Germany A food decoration for Erntedankfest, a Christian Thanksgiving harvest festival celebrated in Germany The Harvest Thanksgiving Festival, Erntedankfest, is a popular German Christian festival on the first Sunday of October. The festival has a significant religious component, and many churches are decorated with autumn crops. In some places, there are religious processions or parades. Many Bavarian beer festivals, like the Munich Oktoberfest, take place within the vicinity of Erntedankfest.[original research?] Japan Main article: Labor Thanksgiving Day Labor Thanksgiving Day (勤労感謝の日, Kinrō Kansha no Hi) is a national holiday in Japan. It takes place annually on November 23. The law establishing the holiday, which was adopted during the American occupation after World War II, cites it as an occasion for commemorating labor and production and giving each other thanks. It has roots in the ancient Shinto harvest ceremony (Niiname-sai (新嘗祭)). United Kingdom Harvest Festival flowers at a church in Shrewsbury, England The Harvest Festival of Thanksgiving does not have an official date in the United Kingdom; however, it is traditionally held on or near the Sunday of the harvest moon that occurs closest to the autumnal equinox. Harvest Thanksgiving in Britain also has pre-Christian roots when the Saxons would offer the first sheaf of barley, oats, or wheat to fertility gods. When the harvest was finally collected, communities would come together for a harvest supper.[65] When Christianity arrived in Britain many traditions remained, and today the Harvest Festival is marked by churches and schools in late September/early October (same as Canada) with singing, praying and decorating with baskets of food and fruit to celebrate a successful harvest and to give thanks.[66] Collections of food are usually held which are then given to local charities which help the homeless and those in need. " (wikipedia.org)
  • Condition: Open box
  • Condition: Unused; candle is not burned but has storage wear. Please see photos and description.
  • Brand: Unbranded
  • Type: Specialized Candle
  • Occasion: Thanksgiving
  • Color: White
  • Item Height: 6.25 in
  • Style: Modern
  • Material: Wax
  • Features: Shaped
  • Scent: Unscented
  • Country/Region of Manufacture: Unknown
  • Room: Any Room, Basement, Bathroom, Bedroom, Den, Dining Room, Entryway, Foyer, Guestroom, Kitchen, Living Room, Lounge, Office, Patio, Porch, Study, Terrace
  • Item Width: 4.25 in

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