Pumpkin or squash?

Well, I suppose we can call a pumpkin a pumpkin even if it is really a squash. Some relatives of the squash include zucchini, ornamental gourds, scallop, butternut squash and pumpkins.

The name pumpkin comes from the Greek word "pepon" which means "large melon." The French changed pepon to pompon, and the English changed pompon to pumpion. But the American colonists had the last word in the matter and called the pumpkin a pumpkin!

Pumpkin seeds found in North America date as far back as 4,000 years ago and show the pumpkin to be a native North American subspecies of the squash. I hope you enjoyed a slice of pumpkin pie on Thanksgiving Day.