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  • What to Do with Pumpkins After Halloween? 30 Clever Ways

    What to Do with Pumpkins After Halloween? 30 Clever Ways

    The Halloween pumpkin originated when European immigrants to the United States discovered that the pumpkins native to their new country were much simpler to carve than turnips. As part of Halloween, around 150 million Americans intend to carve a pumpkin every year. Every year, pumpkins weighing almost two billion pounds will be wasted throughout the globe. This custom plays a significant role in the celebrations.

    It’s unfortunate, however, that so many of the pumpkins that are carved for Halloween wind up in landfills. As a result, making the most of this multipurpose fruit by coming up with novel and environmentally friendly uses after Halloween is essential. If you are wondering what to do with pumpkins after Halloween, below are 30 different ways to repurpose pumpkins once the festival ends.

    1. Composting Pumpkins

    Pumpkins are rich in nitrogen, vital for fertile soil. Adding chopped pumpkins to compost enriches the soil for future plantings, supporting eco-friendly practices.

    1. Take out all of the wax and candles from the pumpkin.
    2. Composting goes more quickly in the sun.
    3. Crush the pumpkin a little and set it down.
    4. Put leaves on top of it to hide it.
    5. The pumpkin will be composted by the worms.

    The United Nations estimates that food waste accounts for 8 percent of all man-made greenhouse gas emissions. Composting pumpkins reduces food waste, combating climate change.

    2. Feeding Wildlife

    After Halloween, pumpkins can serve as nourishment for local wildlife due to their high nutrient content. Animals like squirrels, raccoons, deer, and birds are attracted to both the flesh and seeds.

    Avoid giving animals old or painted pumpkins, as they can be toxic. You can create a pumpkin feeder by cutting it in half, removing the pulp, and reattaching the halves. Fill it with birdseed or pumpkin seeds for birds and small animals to enjoy. You can hang it on a tree.

    3. Pumpkin Stock

    Pumpkin stock is made by boiling cubes of pumpkin with aromatics like onion, celery, and garlic for 10 to 45 minutes. Remove the solids by straining. The stock may be used to provide a sweet and savory taste to soups, stews, and sauces. It’s a green solution for spicing up autumn dishes using leftover pumpkins.

    4. Donate Pumpkins

    Give the left-over pumpkins to charities that will put them to good use (as both food and compost) like Pumpkins for the People. For animal feed purposes, Pumpkins for Pigs will accept uncut pumpkins. Donations benefit both local farmers and shelters, while also reducing food waste.

    5. Pumpkin Puree

    Roast pumpkins that have been cut in half and cleaned of their seeds to make pumpkin puree. Blend the flesh until smooth for versatile cooking. You may use it to give a sweet, savory taste to dishes like bread, pie, or soup. Pumpkin puree is a nutritious complement to many foods since it not only improves the flavor but also adds health benefits.

    6. Feed Farm Animals

    Leftover pumpkins can be responsibly disposed of by feeding them to farm animals. You can offer them a healthy treat by dicing up a pumpkin and feeding it to them. Pumpkins are a source of vitamins and minerals, and many farm animals like eating them.

    7. Use Them as Planters

    Utilize pumpkins as planters for fall decor by cutting off the top, removing the insides, and filling them with soil and plants. Choose suitable plants like annuals, herbs, or succulents. Water and place in a sunny spot indoors or outdoors. Smaller pumpkins work for succulents or table centerpieces. Once faded, plant the pumpkin in the ground for natural fertilizer.

    8. Pumpkin Candle Holder

    To use a pumpkin as a candle holder, cut off the top, scoop out the pulp, and then carve a hole in the center. Make it more fun by decorating it with paint or glitter. You may skip the carving and just use a small pumpkin as a candle holder.

    9. Pumpkin Catapult Contest

    To make a pumpkin catapult, cut a pumpkin in half and remove the seeds. Use the pumpkin as the base and build the catapult using wood, PVC pipe, or similar materials. Test it with small pumpkins or objects. Various designs exist, some using wood and rubber bands, others using PVC pipe and bungee cords. Find instructions online or create your own. It’s a fun way to learn about physics and engineering.

    10. Pumpkin Bowling Game

    Fill plastic bottles with water and set them up in a triangle. Use a pumpkin with a hole cut out of it for the bowling ball. Add some holiday cheer by decorating the space. Perfect for autumn get-togethers and Halloween bashes.

    11. Pumpkin Tic-Tac-Toe Game

    Release your inner pumpkin with this seasonal take on tic-tac-toe. By simply painting a grid on a pumpkin, you can turn it into a fun game board. Use small pumpkins and gourds as game pieces by drawing Xs and Os on their surfaces. This lovely holiday pursuit can keep kids entertained for hours while also stimulating their minds.

    12. Pumpkin Ring Toss Game

    Make a pumpkin ring throw game using glow necklaces or by painting a pumpkin with rings. Toss plastic or handmade rings around it and use it as a target. Add some sparkle and color with glitter and other accessories to make decorating a blast.

    13. Pumpkin Masks

    Luxuriate your taste buds with a mixture of pumpkin puree, honey, and milk. The mask should be applied to freshly cleansed skin and left on for 20 minutes. With warm water, gently remove the mask to reveal a refreshed appearance.

    Packed with vitamins A and C, pumpkin promotes collagen production, while honey moisturizes and soothes. Meanwhile, the lactic acid in milk offers gentle exfoliation and brightens the skin, leaving you with a radiant and healthy glow.

    14. Pumpkin Dog Treats

    Pumpkin puree, flour, eggs, and peanut butter are all dog-safe items you may use to make pumpkin dog treats. Simply mix, lay out, cut into shapes, and bake till golden brown for a delicious and nutritious treat. Peanut butter provides healthy fats and protein, while pumpkin serves as a dietary fiber that aids with digestion. Aromatic spices like cinnamon are often used in cooking.

    14. Pumpkin Cat Treats

    Mix pumpkin puree, oat flour, and canned tuna or salmon to make pumpkin cat treats. Form into balls and freeze until hard. Pumpkin’s fiber and minerals promote healthy bowel function and coat. Cats benefit from the protein and omega-3 fatty acids found in tuna and salmon. Homemade treats ensure safe and wholesome snacking for your feline friend.

    15. Carve a Jack-o’-Lantern

    To start, select a firm pumpkin with a flat base to prevent rolling. Cut off the top and remove the insides. Draw your design and carve it using a serrated knife, working from the center outwards. Tidy up rough edges and insert a tealight or battery-operated candle. Jack-o’-lanterns can enhance your Halloween decor; get creative with faces, scenes, or intricate designs using stencils or templates.

    16. Pumpkin as a Canvas

    Choose a flat, smooth pumpkin as a starting point. Wipe it down with a moist cloth to eliminate any grime or dust. This activity works well with acrylic paints or markers. Make a rough sketch of your pumpkin carving idea on paper. You may make elaborate or basic patterns using brushes, markers, stencils, or even tape. Try drawing portraits, animals, landscapes, or abstract patterns with a wide range of colors and textures. Have fun being creative and trying out new methods to make your pumpkin seem more impressive.

    17. Pumpkin Wreath

    Use pumpkins, a wreath form, wire, scissors, ribbon, and a glue gun to make a festive autumn decoration. After cutting and cleaning the pumpkins, you may begin wiring them onto the wreath shape so that they completely cover it. Add a ribbon or any other embellishment to make it more attractive. Try with different shapes, sizes, and colors of pumpkins, and maybe even some extras like leaves and flowers. Wire and foam wreaths, for example, can be decorated in several different ways.

    18. A Pumpkin Birdhouse

    To get started, get a pumpkin that’s big enough. Make sure it fits the birdhouse kit by cleaning it and cutting a hole in it using a pumpkin carving tool. The pumpkin birdhouse should next be strung up using wire or rope in a tree or other appropriate location. Before connecting the birdhouse kit to the pumpkin, you have the option of painting or decorating the pumpkin.

    19. Pumpkin Spice Sachet

    You can fill your house with the comforting scent of autumn by making pumpkin spice sachets. Spices for pumpkin pie, such as cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and allspice, can be stored in sachets or little muslin bags. For an added touch, try adding dried orange peel, cloves, or vanilla beans. Place the bag, sealed with a ribbon or twine, in drawers, closets, or other tight locations to give off a warm autumnal aroma. These sachets provide a cozy atmosphere.

    20. Pumpkin Spice Room Diffuser

    With a handmade pumpkin spice room diffuser, you can easily create a warm and inviting autumn atmosphere in your own home. Combine pumpkin pie spice, water, vodka or rubbing alcohol, and essential oils (such as cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, ginger, and/or vanilla) in a bowl. Put the mixture in a glass jar and add some reed diffuser sticks. Let the sticks absorb the liquid, turning them over now and again to reawaken the aroma.

    21. Pumpkin Butter

    To make pumpkin butter, combine pumpkin puree with sugar, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves in a saucepan. Cook and stir until thickened. Let it cool, transfer it to a jar, and refrigerate. This flavorful spread is a delightful addition to toast, oatmeal, and pancakes. It also works well as a filling for crepes, in French toast custard, or blended into vanilla milkshakes and smoothies, enhancing fall treats with its sweet and spicy taste.

    22. Pumpkin Hummus


    To prepare pumpkin hummus, blend pumpkin puree with chickpeas, tahini, garlic, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves until creamy. Adjust seasoning and consistency with water. This sweet and spicy dip pairs well with crackers, veggies, or toast. Various recipes, including options with apple cider vinegar or maple syrup, are available online.

    23. Pumpkin Chili

    Create pumpkin chili by sautéing onion, garlic, and ground beef or turkey until browned. Add pumpkin puree, kidney beans, black beans, diced tomatoes, chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper. Simmer for 30-45 minutes, stirring occasionally. Pumpkin enhances flavor and adds nutrients like vitamin A and potassium. Top with cheese, sour cream, or green onions before serving.

    24. Pumpkin Mac & Cheese

    Prepare pumpkin mac & cheese by cooking pasta and mixing it with a blend of melted butter, pumpkin puree, evaporated milk, mustard, nutmeg, salt, and pepper in a saucepan. Add grated cheddar cheese and mix well. Pumpkin not only enriches the dish with vitamins and minerals like vitamin A, vitamin C, and potassium but also lends a delightful sweet-savory flavor.

    25. Pumpkin Risotto

    With some onion and garlic, arborio rice, white wine, and chicken or veggie stock, you can make a delicious pumpkin risotto. Mix in canned pumpkin, Parmigiano Reggiano, nutmeg, salt, and pepper. This dish combines the warmth of fall with the nutritional benefits of pumpkin.

    26. Pumpkin Pancakes

    Make pumpkin pancakes by mixing milk, pumpkin puree, eggs, oil, and vinegar. In another bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Blend the dry ingredients into the wet. Cook 1/4 cup batter per pancake on a heated skillet until bubbles form, then flip. Pumpkin adds flavor and nutrition, with vitamins A and C and potassium.

    27. Pumpkin Smoothies

    Create a pumpkin smoothie by blending canned pumpkin, yogurt, milk, honey, frozen bananas, and spices. Pumpkins contribute vitamins and a sweet-savory taste. Adjust the recipe with different spices, milk types, or sweeteners. There are numerous pumpkin smoothie variations, some incorporating fruits for sweetness and proteins for added nutrition.

    28. Pumpkin Soap

    Making pumpkin soap is a fun and resourceful way to recycle Halloween pumpkins. Essential oils (such as cinnamon, clove, or nutmeg), spices (like pumpkin pie spice or cinnamon), and an optional soap colorant are all you need to make pumpkin soap. Combine the melted soap base with the pumpkin puree, spices, and essential oils. Let the mixture cool and firm in the molds. In certain preparations, goat milk or honey is added for nutritional value, and various essential oils or spices are used to provide distinctive aromas.

    29. Pumpkin Potpourri

    Transform leftover pumpkins into fragrant pumpkin potpourri by combining dried pumpkin pieces or pumpkin spice potpourri with cinnamon sticks, whole cloves, nutmeg, and orange peel in a bowl. For an enhanced aroma, add a few drops of essential oils such as cinnamon, clove, or orange. Mix the ingredients thoroughly and transfer the potpourri to a decorative jar or bowl. Place the jar or bowl in a room to enjoy the delightful fall scent. You can experiment with different dried fruits.

    30. Pumpkin Spice Lip Balm

    Craft your own nourishing pumpkin spice lip balm by melting 1 tbsp of pumpkin seed oil or coconut oil with 1/2 tbsp of beeswax. Add 1/2 tsp of pumpkin pie spice for fragrance. Optionally, include 1-2 tsp of honey and essential oils for extra benefits. Pour the mixture into lip balm containers and let it solidify. Pumpkin seed oil, high in zinc and carotenoids, helps repair and nourish the skin. Experiment with additional ingredients like pumpkin puree or different oils.

  • Halloween: Origin, Meaning, and History

    Halloween: Origin, Meaning, and History

    The origin of the term “Halloween” has long been a mystery. It’s an abbreviation for “All Hallows’ Eve,” which means All Hallows’ Day (All Saints’ Day). Halloween’s origin dates back more than 2,500 years to when the Pagan people were celebrating a festival that was then called Samhain. Both the new year and the dead were honored during this Celtic and Gallic festivity.

    The druids kept the new fire burning, and the celebrations included ritual sacrifices, mead-sharing, and a feast. How was Halloween practiced among the Celts? The American celebration of St. Patrick’s Day has its roots in Ireland; therefore, what Irish tale gave rise to these traditions? Discover where and when this autumnal custom of Halloween originated.

    The Origin and Meaning of Halloween

    Samhain, the ancestor of Halloween
    Samhain, the ancestor of Halloween.

    Samhain, a Celtic celebration with spooky overtones, is where Halloween gets its start. Samhain, which means “end of summer” in contemporary Gaelic, is still the name of the month of November in Irish and other languages today. More than 2,500 years ago on a full moon night in October, when the Celtic year came to a close in Ireland, Great Britain, and northwest Gaul, this ritual festival was organized to celebrate the upcoming new year. This event was already celebrated in several countries during this historical period.

    There are two distinct halves to the Celtic calendar year, the dark half starting on Samhain (November 1) and the bright half commencing on Beltane (May 1), and both are as significant. There were also two distinct seasons in Western European countries—winter and summer—because of the region’s moderate and humid environment. The community’s pace of life shifted as summer winded down. Herds were brought inside for the winter, relieving farmers of their duties during this season.

    Why Is Halloween Celebrated on October 31st?

    Unlike the Gregorian calendar, which was based on the sun, the lunar calendar used by the Celts meant that the dates of their most important festivals were not set in stone. Samhain was celebrated precisely on the night of the next full moon. Therefore, that is why October 31 is chosen as the date for Halloween for “convenience.” Samhain was more than just a religious celebration at the beginning of the new year since it symbolized the opening of the bridge between the living and the dead.

    The Feast of Samhain, the Ancestor of Halloween

    The feast of Samhain, the ancestor of Halloween

    Samhain is a 7-day celebration that begins three days before the full moon and continues for another three days thereafter. It is mandatory for everyone to join, regardless of their social standing, or they will be punished by the gods. There are lots of pork, beer, mead, and wine during the Samhain feast. Pig, a god of destruction and terror, is revered as a holy food that grants eternal life. On the other hand, mead is a honey-water alcoholic beverage.

    This festival is intended to create bridges between the two worlds (those of the living and the dead), where everyone is invited to come to the other side. This allows the deceased to lose their gift of invisibility. It is a celebration in the sense that people meet “in the middle” of the actual and abstract worlds.

    Celtic languages have a shared etymology for the words “middle” and “drunkenness.” In addition to the usual fare of sacrifices and lighting a new fire, the Samhain celebration also included ritualized games and musical performances. For the druids to reignite a new fire in every home and usher in the new year, the Gauls put out their old fires.

    In addition to being a religious holiday, Samhain also served as a political, military, and commercial event when deals were sealed. Although it was mostly a peaceful celebration, the renewal of the king’s authority served as a fitting capstone to the occasion.

    The Roman invasion had an impact on Celtic culture since it introduced a harvest festival in honor of an Etruscan goddess named Pomona. Since Christianity condemned the Pagan practice, it was eventually replaced by the All Saints’ Day holiday celebration. Despite the destruction of their ancient temples, Pagan practices continued. The celebration of All Saints’ Day became an official holiday in Europe in 837. Thus, Halloween, or Samhain, was pushed back to be celebrated on October 31st, a day earlier than usual.

    From Turnip to Pumpkin: The Celtic Legends Reached America

    Glowing Halloween pumpkins and kids in dark

    Following the potato famine (the “Great Famine”) of 1846–48, many Irish emigrated to the United States, bringing with them a wealth of folklore, including their renowned Samhain festival, which over time turned into today’s Halloween.

    The Origin of the Pumpkin on Halloween

    You’ve certainly heard the story of Jack O’Lantern, the drunkard who was sent out of heaven on October 31 for daring to play jokes on the devil before he was later killed. Jack O’Lantern was condemned to wander in the dark with a lantern for all eternity. The lantern was a turnip he was munching on, and the candle he placed inside to protect it from the wind.

    At the end of the 19th century, Halloween was made a national holiday in the United States for the first time. US citizens started to celebrate Halloween with its associated custom of “Trick-or-Treating,” going from door to door in search of sweets. And the pumpkin, since it is much simpler to carve than the turnip, became the primary emblem of Halloween.

    As for the kids going door to door asking for candy, that practice has its roots in Irish culture, where it was common for the impoverished to beg for food from the more well-off. The witches and wizards, as well as the concept of threatening the people with a nasty fate if they refuse, are both relatively modern developments.

    Movies About Halloween

    Friday the 13th, a 1980 horror film directed by John Carpenter, added more suspense to Halloween. This includes the original 1978 Halloween movie from the same director that went on to become the focus of a long-running, critically acclaimed series.

    In 2022’s Halloween Ends, the myth is revived once again, cementing the festival’s reputation as a party that is both innocent for children and a source of overflowing and terrifying imagination for the older ones.

    Tradition and Commercialism Collide at Halloween

    Even today, people in Scotland and Wales continue to gather around bonfires as a symbol of Samhain or Halloween, since it is a custom that originated in the Celtic culture. Halloween games involving fruit, such as jumping into a pool to grab apples or apple bobbing, are a tradition in both the United States and Britain that dates back to the Roman harvest festival.

    The tradition of using candlelight to illuminate carved pumpkins, the “Jack-o’-lanterns,” in the form of hideous masks dates back to the same Roman harvest festival.

    Particularly in the latter half of the 20th century, Halloween became one of the largest holidays in many European countries, third only to Christmas and Easter. However, as Europeans already have many historical celebrations and Halloween has become too commercial, the holiday has lost its magic in Europe.

    The distinction between the Day of the Dead celebration (which originated in Mexico) and Halloween is worth noting. The former is celebrated on November 2nd to remember the deceased, and it does not have a connection with Halloween.