17 Fun Things You Can Do With a Pumpkin

The tradition of carving pumpkins for Halloween traces its roots right back to the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain, but the original British vegetable of choice wasn't a pumpkin, or even from the gourd family. Hundreds of years ago across Scotland, Ireland, and England, people would carve terrifying faces into large turnips, potatoes, and other hard root vegetables. Glowing embers would be placed inside the carving to create a lantern that was believed to hold protective energy and each crude creation was designed to ward off roaming evil spirits. These decorative lanterns were deeply tied to a mythical trickster in folklore that was doomed to roam the earth with only an illuminated hollowed-out turnip to light his way.

When the British and Irish migrated to North America during the 19th century, they discovered the native pumpkin - a larger, softer, and easier to carve vegetable - that the vast majority of people changed their canvas of choice. The vibrancy, symmetry, and jovial appearance of the traditional round orange pumpkin carved the way for Halloween to become celebratory, craft-led, and ultimately aimed at involving children into the occasion.

Now, pumpkins are a classic part of British, American, and many other nationalities' seasonal culture, and signify the beginning of what is affectionately known as ‘spooky season’. As they're easy to grow on British soil, many farmers give up swathes of land for pumpkin patches, even inviting members of the public to come and pick their own ready for Halloween to begin. We carve them, decorate them, and even eat them, and for those who just like the vision of a pumpkin without the pumpkin itself, we even involve them in our home décor. 

Whether you like the taste of pumpkin or not, there are things you can do with the seeds, flesh, and skin of a pumpkin for it to be enjoyed long after the fun of Halloween is over, and below are some of our favourites:

• Gift your pumpkin to animals: check with local farms and sanctuaries first, as many will accept whole, unpainted, and wax-free pumpkins for animal feed. Avoid dumping them in local woodlands, but you can seek advice from wildlife experts on which wild animals can safely enjoy fresh pumpkin
• Compost your pumpkin: break your pumpkin into pieces for your compost bin to create rich soil for spring planting, or simply add the chunks to your kerbside food waste bin
• Make a pumpkin bird feeder: mix the reserved flesh and seeds with bird-friendly fats. Fill the hollowed pumpkin and hang it from a tree to feed grateful birds during the chilly weather
• Create pumpkin stamps: break the pumpkin shell into smaller pieces and carve the soft side into fun shapes like hearts or stars. Dip them in paint to make artwork with kids, similar to traditional potato printing
• Paint your pumpkin seeds: if you don't want to eat the dried seeds, paint them in vibrant colours to create sustainable 'gemstones' for crafting. You can even string them together to make colourful, eco-friendly jewellery