Media Releases
Halloween pumpkin set for record sales this festive season
Release Date: October 18, 2011
The Adelaide Produce Market is supplying more Halloween pumpkin than ever before, with 20 tonnes currently passing through the system to end up as jack-o-lanterns this festive season.
Sales have steadily increased in South Australia in recent years for the Halloween pumpkin variety, which has been specifically grown and developed in the United States to celebrate Halloween.
“This variety is only available in October and is typically only used for the making of jack-o-lanterns as they have a head-like size and shape and their flesh is easy to scoop out,” Adelaide Produce Market spokesperson Mr Carbone said.
“We normally have one or two merchants selling Halloween pumpkin, but this year, we now have three or four merchants selling them. This clearly indicates there is an increased demand for them”, Mr Carbone said.
Typical jack-o-lanterns have their top cut off, their inside flesh scooped out and scary monstrous images carved onto the outside surface. At night a burning candle is placed inside. The tradition of carving jack-o-lanterns started in the British Isles however it was traditionally sliced out of a swede or a turnip. They were created on All Hallows’ Eve and left on the door step to ward off evil spirits. Once the tradition moved to the United States, swedes and turnips were replaced with pumpkin as they were more widely available and were bigger and easier to carve.
“There seems to be a renewed interest in Halloween, with more South Australian’s embracing and celebrating its traditions, namely turning pumpkins into jack-o-lanterns,” Mr Carbone said.
The variety is usually only available in October and is grown in the Northern Territory.
