What Gave the Squash Its Name?
The process of squashing or crushing fruit or vegetables to extract juice inspired the name for squash. The Narragansett people, an Algonquin group from…
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Pumpkins
What Is a Gourd?
Did you ever see a fruit with rind hard enough to use as a cooking pot? A gourd is such a fruit. Gourds are ornamental fruits that are close
How Did Jack-o-lanterns Get Their Name?
An Irish folktale about a trickster named Stingy Jack and an old British term for glowing marsh light give the jack-o’-lantern its name. The…
What Is the History of Halloween?
The word itself, “Halloween,” actually originates in the Catholic Church. It comes from a contracted corruption of All Hallows Eve. November 1, “All Hallows…
What Made Halloween so Popular in America?
Immigrants brought Halloween to America, tracing its roots directly to Irish traditions first celebrated in the 19th century. The Gaelic holiday of Samhain, which…