Come fall and America gets talking about their pumpkin spice lattes, pumpkin pies and pumpkin lanterns. They are festive, they drumroll the beginning of winter and they are possibly one of the most easily identifiable gourds/squash in the kitchen. They are a member of the gourd family that includes cucumbers, honeydew melons, cantaloupe, watermelons and zucchini.

But what makes the humble orange coloured fruit (yes, a fruit not a vegetable) such a hit in the US, so much so that their two festivals -- Halloween and Thanksgiving -- are nearly incomplete without it?&nbsp;

<img alt="pumpkin" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="81c00276-747d-4ff3-9ccd-c2312b9462af" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/New-220.jpg" />

Before becoming a major cultural symbol in America, pumpkin was used as a marketing tool by people who discovered that they had plenty of it. Initially, in colonial America, people fed on bread and beer, something they acquired a taste for from their colonisers. As food shortages hit when world wars took place, people started hoarding pumpkins since they were plentiful and could be used on the bread as a filling/dressing.

It then struck them that pumpkin was theirs to make use of, since they always had enough of them and could easily become a part of mainstream food.&nbsp;From there, pumpkin became an accessory, a decoration item, a US symbol.&nbsp;

<img alt="pumpkin" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="57741d53-641a-448e-bbc3-82fc05fc47fc" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/New-219.jpg" />

Once Thanksgiving became an official holiday in 1844, there was no going back for pumpkins. It now offers the “authentic and wholesome American” feel and is synonymous with everything festive.&nbsp;

Almost every US&nbsp;TV show or Hollywood film that has an Autumn/Fall theme has pumpkins feature in a prominent manner. Atleast one episode of every US show that airs during the festive time&nbsp;has pumpkin being marketed as an American thing to eat/play with. Every iconic successful US show has had atleast one dedicated Halloween/pumpkin-themed episode including&nbsp;'Friends', 'Brooklyn 99', 'The Simpsons', 'Modern Family', 'The Office' and the list is endless. Popular culture has reinforced the idea of a pumpkin being quintessially&nbsp;American and rightfully so since the fruit is indigenous to the region.&nbsp;

It’s been a long walk for pumpkins, from being native to the Americas and still being ignored to now finding a space at the top shelf. What adds is that the humble fruit is a rich source of antioxidants, fiber, potassium and vitamin C and makes a great dessert item. It’s also kids’ favourite thing to play with during Halloween with almost every house in the US and Canada doing their own version of Jack - o lanterns. Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/hollywood/news-%E2%80%98halloween%E2%80%99-and-the-problem-with-its-sequels-424228" hreflang="en">‘Halloween’ and the problem with its sequels</a>

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/from-squid-game-jumpsuits-to-kim-kardashian-pop-culturememe-inspired-halloween-costumes-422971" hreflang="en">From 'Squid Game' jumpsuits to Kim Kardashian: Pop culture/meme inspired Halloween costumes</a>

It was the National Pumpkin Day in the US on October 26 and then there's Halloween on October 31. Happy feasting on pumpkin you all!

<h2><a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/lifestyle/news-fendi-x-skims-collaboration-is-real-424261" hreflang="en">Fendi x SKIMS collaboration is real!</a></h2>

Come fall and America gets talking about their pumpkin spice lattes, pumpkin pies and pumpkin lanterns. They are festive, they drumroll the beginning of winter and they are possibly one of the most easily identifiable gourds/squash in the kitchen.

Come fall and America gets talking about their pumpkin spice lattes, pumpkin pies and pumpkin lanterns. They are festive, they drumroll the beginning of winter and they are possibly one of the most easily identifiable gourds/squash in the kitchen. They are a member of the gourd family that includes cucumbers, honeydew melons, cantaloupe, watermelons and zucchini. But what makes the humble orange coloured fruit (yes, a fruit not a vegetable) such a hit in the US, so much so that their two festivals -- Halloween and Thanksgiving -- are nearly incomplete without it? Before becoming a major cultural symbol in America, pumpkin was used as a marketing tool by people who discovered that they had plenty of it. Initially, in colonial America, people fed on bread and beer, something they acquired a taste for from their colonisers. As food shortages hit when world wars took place, people started hoarding pumpkins since they were plentiful and could be used on the bread as a filling/dressing. It then struck them that pumpkin was theirs to make use of, since they always had enough of them and could easily become a part of mainstream food. From there, pumpkin became an accessory, a decoration item, a US symbol. Once Thanksgiving became an official holiday in 1844, there was no going back for pumpkins. It now offers the “authentic and wholesome American” feel and is synonymous with everything festive. Almost every US TV show or Hollywood film that has an Autumn/Fall theme has pumpkins feature in a prominent manner. Atleast one episode of every US show that airs during the festive time has pumpkin being marketed as an American thing to eat/play with. Every iconic successful US show has had atleast one dedicated Halloween/pumpkin-themed episode including 'Friends', 'Brooklyn 99', 'The Simpsons', 'Modern Family', 'The Office' and the list is endless. Popular culture has reinforced the idea of a pumpkin being quintessially American and rightfully so since the fruit is indigenous to the region. It’s been a long walk for pumpkins, from being native to the Americas and still being ignored to now finding a space at the top shelf. What adds is that the humble fruit is a rich source of antioxidants, fiber, potassium and vitamin C and makes a great dessert item. It’s also kids’ favourite thing to play with during Halloween with almost every house in the US and Canada doing their own version of Jack - o lanterns. Also read: ‘Halloween’ and the problem with its sequels From 'Squid Game' jumpsuits to Kim Kardashian: Pop culture/meme inspired Halloween costumes It was the National Pumpkin Day in the US on October 26 and then there's Halloween on October 31. Happy feasting on pumpkin you all! Fendi x SKIMS collaboration is real!

Why is America obsessed with pumpkins?

After Tokyo Olympics, Japan is once again in the headlines but this time it is for losing one of its famous works of modern art to a storm.

A giant black and yellow polka-dotted pumpkin sculpture, created by Yayoi Kusama, has been the pride of the country's 'art of island' of Naoshima in the Seto inland sea.

The installation has been in place since 1994 and has weathered several storms with the help of locals, who usually move the sculpture to safety before any incoming storm. However, this time, for some unknown reason, the locals missed moving it.

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直島のシンボルが…..<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/%E5%8F%B0%E9%A2%A89%E5%8F%B7?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#台風9号</a> <a href="https://t.co/7l9b65ivSe">pic.twitter.com/7l9b65ivSe</a>
— 歪みっぱなしの帝国. (@ppdisundia) <a href="https://twitter.com/ppdisundia/status/1424621207966535681?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 9, 2021</a></blockquote>
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This time when a downgraded typhoon hit the area on Monday, the sculpture couldn’t stand its ground against the extreme weather and ended up getting tossed in the sea.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/australia-teen-to-face-5-years-in-jail-for-forcing-quokka-to-vape-404911">Australia: Teen to face 5 years in jail for forcing quokka to vape</a>

The stellar creation was loosened from its metal fastenings due to the high tides and was then repeatedly slammed into the pier before getting swept into the water. The authorities of Benesse Art Site, who own the piece, looked at the sight helplessly.

Kusama's Pumpkin now has been slammed into three pieces and the staff members of the Benesse Art Site are hoping to be able to repair the sculpture and reinstall it in its original spot.

"Some smaller pieces were lost in the sea but we have three large main sections that are being stored at the art site while we work with Kusama’s studio to decide what to do next," a company spokesperson said.

The artist is now in her early 90s and is residing in a mental health institution in Tokyo since the 1970s. The authorities might have to take her inputs to rebuild her creation.

After Tokyo Olympics, Japan is once again in the headlines but this time it is for losing one of its famous works of modern art to a storm. A giant black and yellow polka-dotted pumpkin sculpture, created by Yayoi Kusama, has been the pride of the country's 'art of island' of Naoshima in the Seto inland sea.

After Tokyo Olympics, Japan is once again in the headlines but this time it is for losing one of its famous works of modern art to a storm. A giant black and yellow polka-dotted pumpkin sculpture, created by Yayoi Kusama, has been the pride of the country's 'art of island' of Naoshima in the Seto inland sea. The installation has been in place since 1994 and has weathered several storms with the help of locals, who usually move the sculpture to safety before any incoming storm. However, this time, for some unknown reason, the locals missed moving it. 直島のシンボルが…..#台風9号 pic.twitter.com/7l9b65ivSe — 歪みっぱなしの帝国. (@ppdisundia) August 9, 2021 × This time when a downgraded typhoon hit the area on Monday, the sculpture couldn’t stand its ground against the extreme weather and ended up getting tossed in the sea. Also read | Australia: Teen to face 5 years in jail for forcing quokka to vape The stellar creation was loosened from its metal fastenings due to the high tides and was then repeatedly slammed into the pier before getting swept into the water. The authorities of Benesse Art Site, who own the piece, looked at the sight helplessly. Kusama's Pumpkin now has been slammed into three pieces and the staff members of the Benesse Art Site are hoping to be able to repair the sculpture and reinstall it in its original spot. "Some smaller pieces were lost in the sea but we have three large main sections that are being stored at the art site while we work with Kusama’s studio to decide what to do next," a company spokesperson said. The artist is now in her early 90s and is residing in a mental health institution in Tokyo since the 1970s. The authorities might have to take her inputs to rebuild her creation.

Tokyo: Large pumpkin sculpture gets tossed by Japan sea storm

The famous West Coast Halloween parades may be canceled, but residents of Los Angeles can still enjoy some pumpkin fun at a drive through ranch in Calabasas. 'Nights of the Jacks' allows cars to drive through numerous themed displays made from pumpkins. Hollywood, Alice in Wonderland, dinosaurs as well as ghosts and ghouls are all part of the illuminated event at King Gillette Ranch.

Halloween Jack O'Lantern celebration transformed into contactless drive-thru event

Pumpkin sales are peaking&nbsp;ahead&nbsp;of&nbsp;Halloween&nbsp;festivities, and&nbsp;farmers&nbsp;are expecting to do a brisk trade in the upcoming weeks.

Halloween&nbsp;is the second largest retail festival in the UK after Christmas.

Fox&#39;s Farm Produce grow and sell between 50,000-100,000&nbsp;pumpkins&nbsp;a year - all in the lead up to&nbsp;Halloween, and sell both directly to consumers and shops.

&quot;We love&nbsp;Halloween. It has always been in the family, my dad used to grow them and we just capitalised on this as well. It is very Americanised, a growing market and we just love&nbsp;pumpkins,&quot; says Guy French, who grew up on a potato and vegetable farm and has run Foxes Farm Produce since 2003.

Millions of&nbsp;pumpkins&nbsp;are grown in the UK each year, and up to 90% of orange ones are sold in the lead up to&nbsp;Halloween.

Fox's Farm Produce grow and sell between 50,000-100,000?pumpkins?a year - all in the lead up to?Halloween, and sell both directly to consumers and shops

Pumpkin sales are peaking ahead of Halloween festivities, and farmers are expecting to do a brisk trade in the upcoming weeks. Halloween is the second largest retail festival in the UK after Christmas. Fox's Farm Produce grow and sell between 50,000-100,000 pumpkins a year - all in the lead up to Halloween, and sell both directly to consumers and shops. "We love Halloween. It has always been in the family, my dad used to grow them and we just capitalised on this as well. It is very Americanised, a growing market and we just love pumpkins," says Guy French, who grew up on a potato and vegetable farm and has run Foxes Farm Produce since 2003. Millions of pumpkins are grown in the UK each year, and up to 90% of orange ones are sold in the lead up to Halloween.

British farmers prepare pumpkins ahead of busy Halloween period

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