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October 26, 2017 By Chelsea T.

Halloween is right around the corner and one of the major parts of the season include Pumpkin Picking. Tons of farms across the country participate in the pumpkin growing process so that come Fall time, families can pick the perfect pumpkins.

Today is National Pumpkin Day and we're celebrating with some cool facts about pumpkins that you may not have known. Take a peek at the facts below!

All pumpkins are a variety of winter squash

China used pumpkin leaves for a variety of different soups

The orange color in pumpkins comes from beta carotene

680,000 tons of pumpkins are produced each year in the United States

The pumpkin spice latte was first launched at Starbucks in 2003

Some pumpkins have been weighed in at a whopping 2,000 pounds

Millions of pumpkins are grown and used as food for animals

Antarctica is the only continent where pumpkins aren't grown

Along with the traditional color orange, pumpkins can also be found in yellow and white varieties

The word pumpkin originates from the Greek word pepon, which simply means "large melon"

Curcubita Pepo is the official Latin name for pumpkin

Pumpkins are filled with 2% protein

Illinois is the top pumpkin producing state in the United States

Pumpkins are a rich source of Vitamin A

In Central and Eastern Europe, pumpkin seed oil is used for cooking

In Europe, Mexico & China - pumpkin seeds are quite the popular snack

Early American Colonists used to call pumpkins "pumpions"

95% of all pumpkins grown to make pies and pie filling come from Illinois

The sugar variety of pumpkins is most often used for baking

All squashes and pumpkins are native plants of North America

The pumpkin most often used for Jack O' Lanterns is the Connecticut Field variety

The word “pompom” in English is derived from the French word for pumpkin, meaning something round and large

Bees are relied on by pumpkins to fertilize the flowers via cross pollination

In the Harry Potter book series, pumpkin juice is a popular drink among the students

In Britain and Australia, the word "pumpkin" can refer to any type of squash

Pumpkin chunking is the sport where a pumpkin is hurled as far as possible using a machine

Gourds are the most popular type of pumpkin used for decorating

A White Lumina is an unusual, medium-sized white pumpkin

What do you use your pumpkins for during the Fall Season? Let us know by commenting below!