Halloween's origins date back over 2000 years to the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain (sow-in). This day marked the end of summer and was considered to be when the boundary between the world of the living and the departed was at its thinnest, so people would ward off ghosts by wearing costumes and lighting bonfires.
In the 8th Century, Pope Gregory III designated November 1st as All Saints Day, to honour all the saints. The evening before was known as All Hallows Eve and soon began incorporating the traditions from Samhain to create what we know today as Halloween. Trick-or-treating, wearing costumes, having festivals and carving jack-o-lanterns (pumpkins) have all become global and integral parts of the celebration.
Festivals, human culture and attitudes are always evolving and that’s the great thing about them. In today's age, we aren’t only thinking about the past but also our future and the impact our actions can have.
Pumpkin carving is a great Halloween tradition and makes for fun and biodegradable decorations. However, we may sometimes forget that pumpkins are not just for carving and decorating but also for eating! According to the food charity Hubbub,15 million pumpkins go uneaten every year around Halloween in the UK. That is an awful amount of food waste when we know the impact this can have on us and our planet. Food waste creates over 3 billion tonnes of CO2 every year which contributes to climate change. There are many ways to reuse, recycle and repurpose your pumpkin carving to give it a new life and to do a ‘gourd’ deed for the planet’ and ‘squash’ climate change.
Check out the pumpkins the AFC Ambassadors made this year!
How Can I Reuse My Pumpkin?
1) Turn Your Pumpkin into a Bird Feeder
A pumpkin bird feeder is a great way to reduce waste while supporting local wildlife in these upcoming winter months. Materials: Your old carved pumpkin, string, 4 thick and strong twigs/sticks, and a knife (please have parental/adult supervision during the cutting exercise)
Step 1: Cut off the top of your pumpkin, leaving the bottom half to create a bowl shape.
Step 2: With adult guidance (please always have an adult present when using a knife or sharp tool), carefully use a knife to make 4 holes evenly spaced around your pumpkin. Place your 4 twigs/sticks into these holes, the twigs/sticks should be pushed into the pumpkin so only half can be seen emerging from the pumpkin. This will keep your pumpkin balanced when hung and will serve as a perch for birds.
Step 3: Measure your string or twine and decide how low/high you want your pumpkin to hang. Cut 4 even pieces of twine/string, tie these to the base of each of your twigs/sticks (where the twig/stick emerges from the pumpkin), then tie all 4 pieces together at the top. Alternatively, use 2 of the holes you already cut, pick 2 holes on either side of your pumpkin, use one piece of string/twine and tie each end through the 2 holes. If you don’t want to hang your pumpkin you can also place it on a perch or on the ground as some bird species like to eat from the ground.
Step 4: Fill your bird feeder with good quality bird seed. You can also use your pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds and crushed plain peanuts. You can research what kind of food and seeds to use here.
Check out another guide for a pumpkin bird feeder here.
2) Roast Pumpkin Seeds
3) Try Growing a Pumpkin
4) Make a Pumpkin Planter
5) Compost Your Pumpkin
6) Freeze Pumpkin Pieces for later!
Our Ambassadors have reused their pumpkins this year by roasting seeds, composting, feeding to chickens and making soup and pies!
Let us know how you recycled and reused your pumpkin this year!
Thanks for reading!
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