Here in the United States, pumpkins have come to symbolize autumn, accompanied by its holidays, Halloween and Thanksgiving. But pumpkins are much more than just the inspiration for pumpkin-spice everything in October and November. Growing into every imaginable use culinarily and creatively, pumpkins have become an international sensation.
Where did the pumpkin come from?
Pumpkins originated in North America; the oldest seeds have been found in Mexico, dating back to 7000–5550 BCE. From there, pumpkins spread across North America and Canada. For American Indians anciently, pumpkins (along with other squash) were part of the Three Sisters: corn, beans, and squash. These three food groups, planted together, were self-sustaining and thus were staple foods. Every part of the pumpkin was useful: pumpkin seeds were valued for being very nutritious; shells could be repurposed as containers; and pumpkins were even used in medicine. During harvest festivals, pumpkins were used to represent prosperity and abundance.
When Columbus and, vicariously, all of the Old World arrived on America’s metaphorical doorstep and began carting things home, pumpkins were introduced to Europe and, slowly, everywhere else. People all over the world started adding pumpkin to their food, and as pumpkins’ prevalence grew so did their cultural significance.
How do different cultures use pumpkins?
Today, in Asia, pumpkins are believed to warm people up and so are often utilized in winter foods. They are also viewed as medicinal and used to treat digestion problems. In Europe, like in the US, pumpkins are seen as a symbol of autumn harvest; they are also used in some rituals and folklore to discourage evil spirits. In Mexico, pumpkins are often included in celebrations of the Day of the Dead as celebratory dishes or offerings honoring the departed.
The rich harvest symbolism continued in America, as European settlers were taught about pumpkins by the native tribes. However, immigrants also fostered their own pumpkin traditions. For example, jack-o’-lanterns came about when Irish immigrants, who traditionally carved turnips or potatoes into makeshift lanterns to ward off evil spirits for the festival of Samhain, found that pumpkins were much softer and better suited to carving. They switched to pumpkins—and the nation eventually picked up the tradition.
What can you do with pumpkins?
Although most people use the flesh of pumpkins for cooking and then discard the rest, the entire squash is edible. The skin can be used in soups and broths, adding flavor and nutrients; the seeds can be roasted and used as a topping or snack; the flowers and leaves are utilized in many dishes; and even the guts can make stock or rich compost. And pumpkin flesh makes way more than just pumpkin pie and pumpkin chocolate chip cookies. (For some fun international recipes featuring pumpkin, check out our article “Pumpkin, Spice, and Everything Nice” in the Winter 2026 issue of Stowaway.)
Food is not the only thing pumpkins are good for. Anciently, native Americans used them for such creative projects as mats and musical instruments. More recently, Ludwigsburg, Germany, has begun holding a pumpkin art exhibition, and Kasterlee, Belgium, has begun the tradition of an annual Pumpkin Regatta, hollowing out enormous pumpkins and racing in them as boats.
From recipes to musical instruments to art, humans have poured a lot of creative energy into pumpkins. Even though most of us forget about them from December to September every year, they’ve dotted our cultural landscape for a long time. And they’re not going anywhere. Thanksgiving might be finished, but pumpkins are not.
Sources
www.carnegiemnh.org/the-jack-o-lanterns-origins/
www.globalproducesales.com/the-cultural-significance-of-pumpkins-around-the-world/
www.brusselstimes.com/761125/paddling-in-a-pumpkin-it-wasnt-all-bad-in-belgium