In August of 1998, we moved to Japan to build the Universal Studios Japan theme park in Osaka. Prior to our move, we had hosted six Japanese students in our home. One of the perks of living there was the opportunity to see our ‘kids.’
Pumpkins frequently appear in literature, too, and here are just a few instances. There is of course, Cinderella and her grand pumpkin carriage. For many years Charles M. Schulz delighted us with his Peanuts cartoon strip and Linus’ belief in the Great Pumpkin. There is the pumpkin throwing Headless Horseman in Washington Irving’s The Legend of Sleepy Hallow. And most recently pumpkins have appeared in the Harry Potter books and movies where the students of Hogwart’s School of Witchcraft and Wizardry partake of a favorite beverage, pumpkin juice.
Have you ever wondered why people sit around watching football on Thanksgiving and eating pumpkin pie? And where did the turkey come from? There are many traditions connected to this holiday, and each and every one has a story to tell.
