WELCOME TO An Entertainment Site for Scottish Country Dancers - Enjoy the curated selection of theme-related dances for celebrations and holidays, or find a dance associated with a special calendar day, or EVEN your own birthday!
Pumpkin Day
Oct 26
Other Scottish Country Dances for this Day
Today's Musings, History & Folklore
"Take a pound of Pompion, and slice it; an handful of Time, a little Rosemary, sweet Marjoram stripped off the stalks, chop them small; then take Cinamon, Nutmeg, Pepper, and a few Cloves, all beaten; also ten Eggs, and beat them all together, with as much Sugar as you shall think sufficient; then fry them like a Froise."
~ Gentlewoman’s Companion, written by Hannah Woolley, 1675
Vintage colonial recipe to go with your delicious dancing, anyone? As autumn deepens and the days grow shorter, the pumpkin reigns supreme, its bright orange hue a harbinger of harvest feasts and supernatural lore. If you too would like to be king or queen of pumpkin bakers, there is no shortage of vintage and modern recipes for pumpkin pies, cakes, and desserts, and even dances, such as this reel, with plenty of turns recalling mixing up desserts, circles for the roundness of the pumpkin, and double triangles for the classic cut out of jack-o-lantern eyes!
In the Americas, pumpkins are synonymous with Halloween, carved into grinning Jack-o’-lanterns to guard against Samhain spirits. Their toasted seeds are a crunchy delight, a savory contrast to the rich, cinnamon and clove-spiced pies that grace tables throughout the season. Before pumpkins took center stage, however, Scottish and British traditions relied on humbler root vegetables like beets, turnips, and rutabagas (known as swedes) to create lanterns for All Hallows’ Eve. Especially in the America's, pumpkin festivals are everywhere! The current world record for the largest pumpkin grown was set in October 2023 by Italian grower Andrea Mazzanti, whose pumpkin weighed an astounding 2,749 pounds (1,247.54 kg). This record-breaking pumpkin was displayed at the 50th Safeway World Championship Pumpkin Weigh-Off in Half Moon Bay, California. Oh my gourd! 🧡 🧡 🧡 🎃 🥧
The Pumpking Baker
Besides being the prince of gourds for jack-o-lantern carving, pumpkins were a staple food in the New World for thousands of years. Pumpkin seeds have been found throughout Mexico, South America, and the Eastern United States, as early as 5,500 B.C., dating pumpkins well before the emergence of maize.
Easy to cultivate and, with the thick shell and solid flesh, pumpkins could be dried and preserved, making them indispensable in helping Native Americans survive long, harsh winters.
Recognizing the value of the pumpkin, the first explorers of the New World brought pumpkins home with them to Europe and, around the mid-1500s, pumpkins were cultivated in England (pumpions), and France (pompons). Because medieval England had already been making “pyes”, or pastries, with both sweet and savory fillings for hundreds of years, pumpkin pie made its debut in an English cookbook, in 1675.
Pumpkin pies became fashionable in the early 19th century and today, the flavor of pumpkin pie spices is found in everything from coffee to perfumes.
Indulge your craving for baking with pumpkin baking by clicking the pumpkin roll to visit Sally's Baking Addiction, pumpkin style!
Click the dance cribs or description below to link to a printable version of the dance!
