Pumpkin Positivity: A History of Pumpkins

I see so much pumpkin and pumpkin spice slander on my TL. How dare the Internet try to bash the icon that is the pumpkin, pumpkin spice, and the pumpkin product line at Trader Joe’s? Pumpkins, pumpkin pie, and pumpkin spice lattes are often shaded as basic, but just like the PSL, we are heading into (or already deep into) our 20s, where no one will judge us for liking what we like! At Sustainable Baddie, we want to create a safe space to fangirl over pumpkins and the many uses that this fruit (yes, fruit) brings to the autumnal season. 

This marks the beginning of our Pumpkin Positivity Series, a series that celebrates the pumpkin in all its shapes and forms, beginning with a short history of pumpkins 🎃

Where Do Pumpkins Come From?

Pumpkins are a type of winter squash and are technically a fruit! A berry for that matter! Though they are associated with autumn chill, pumpkins are grown in warmer climates. One of the oldest known crops, they have been grown and used for almost 10,000 years! And they originate from North America, specifically, Oaxaca, Mexico. Who knew pumpkins were Latines?

10,000 years ago, pumpkins were small, bitter, and green; not as tasty as the pumpkins we know and love today. They weren’t used for eating but for storage. Thanks to their thick tough skins, they were made into baskets. Dried strips of the outer shell were woven to make mats. They were also used medicinally. The pumpkin was an essential crop to Indigenous cultures, who bred pumpkins into new forms and spread throughout the Americas. 

When European colonizers arrived in the Americas in the late 15th century they brought pumpkin seeds back to Europe where they (mainly the Spanish) spread pumpkins around the world. The word “pumpkin” originates from the Greek word “pepõn”, which means large melon. It then became "pompo” thanks to the French, which the English changed into "pumpion,” and American settlers arrived at the word “pumpkin”.

Pumpkin Recipes and Autumn Celebrations

Credit: German Halloween Postcard L.& E

During the early 17th century, English settlers grew fond of the pumpkins that Indigenous Americans had been cultivating for thousands of years and began to use pumpkins to make pudding, custard, and pies. The crop became a staple of their diets. Settlers in New England depended on pumpkins for the same reasons Native Americans did; they kept well throughout the cold winters of the Northeast. 

Pumpkin pie originated in the early 17th century, but the original pumpkin pie was not as neat and aesthetically pleasing as the modern pumpkin pie. The first pumpkin pies were hollowed-out pumpkins filled with milk, spices, and honey, and were roasted by the fire. It wasn’t until the late 18th century that the modern pumpkin pie began to take its form. In 1796, Amelia Simmons published a cookbook titled American Cookery. Simmons’ pumpkin puddings were baked in a crust thus creating an early recipe for the present-day pumpkin pie (and also the precursor to pumpkin spice, but we’ll get to that later.)

Credit: Library of Congress 1940s Thanksgiving Pies

Halloween & Jack-O’-Lanterns

Credit: History 1960s era kids trick or treat in store bought costumes

Before we can understand the history of pumpkins as a symbol of Halloween, we need to understand the history of the holiday itself. The origins of Halloween are rooted in ancient Celtic harvest festivals. Specifically, the Celtic festival of Samhain (`Saw-wen') was a pagan religious celebration that welcomed the harvest and the new year. The Celts believed that on October 31st, the night before the new year, the souls of the dead returned to Earth. People would gather, light bonfires, and wear costumes to ward off ghosts. 

The celebration of Halloween was brought to the Americas by European settlers. The first celebrations of Halloween included public parties that were held to celebrate the harvest. Communities would gather to share stories of the dead, dress up, dance, sing, and carve pumpkins!

Credit: National Geographic The National Museum of Ireland’s early 1900s jack-o’-lantern, known as a “ghost turnip.”

The practice of carving Jack-O’-Lanterns was brought to America by Irish immigrants. The name “Jack-O’-Lantern” comes from an Irish legend about a man named Stingy Jack who was greedy, mean, and liked to play tricks on people. In Ireland, Scotland, and England, Jack-O’-Lanterns were carved out of potatoes, turnips, or rutabagas. They carved spooky faces into the vegetables and placed an ember inside to keep supernatural forces at bay and help guide the souls of dead relatives back to their homes on Earth. After arriving in America, the Irish began to use pumpkins instead because they were easier to carve than any other vegetable.

A Brief History of Pumpkin Spice 

Credit: Roadside Pictures

Contrary to popular belief, Starbucks did not invent Pumpkin Spice. Also contrary to popular belief, pumpkin spice does not actually have any pumpkin in it. Amelia Simmons published a recipe for the classic American pumpkin pie. The pudding-like pie filling was made from ingredients like pumpkin and a spice mix of cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and allspice. 

Over 130 years later, in the 1930s, spice manufacturers began producing a revolutionary new product, pumpkin pie spice mix, after the Washington Post published a pumpkin pie cake recipe with prominent flavors like cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and allspice. 

In 2003, Peter Dukes, the then director of espresso at Starbucks, came up with the idea to add pumpkin spice to a latte. The Pumpkin Spice Latte was born, and the world has not been the same since. This seasonal menu item is now available at Starbucks all around the world and has become a pop culture icon, making its way into movie scripts, Christian girl autumn memes, and the reusable thermal mug I know you take when you go order your PSL.  

Pumpkins are a delicious, cozy, traditional, and ancient fruit (I wanna say vegetable so badly!) that has played an iconic role in human history. From the Indigenous crops of Mexico to your oat milk PSL, pumpkins have been a huge part of harvest and autumn celebrations around the world. Don’t let some troll tell you you’re basic for enjoying everyone's fave gourd and seasonal beverage! Do you, Mama! Enjoy a PSL, some Sopa de Calabaza, or roasted pumpkin seeds from this year's pumpkin carving activities <3