As a food, pumpkin can be baked, roasted, steamed or boiled. Pumpkin soup is popular, as are roasted pumpkin seeds. Pumpkin pie is a sweet dessert that originates in North America and is traditionally eaten during harvest time and holidays such as Thanksgiving and Christmas. Pumpkin can be used to make smoothies and juice.
Pumpkins are popular decorations during Halloween. A carved pumpkin illuminated by candles is known as a ‘jack-o-lantern’. The tradition is believed to have come from Ireland, where they used to carve faces into turnips, beet, and other root vegetables as part of the Gaelic festival of Samhain.
