Jack-o'-lanterns and more: five symbols in the history of Halloween

Here?s a rundown of this favorite gourd-like fruit:

? A pumpkin grown last year weighed a record-setting 1,810 pounds, as much as a dairy cow or roughly half the weight of a small car.

? US growers produce more than 1.5 billion pounds of pumpkins per year. That?s more than twice the weight of the Empire State Building.

? Top pumpkin-producing states are Illinois, California, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, and Michigan.

? Pumpkins are a member of the gourd family, which includes cucumbers, honeydew melon, cantaloupe, watermelon, and zucchini. These plants are native to Central America and Mexico but now grow on six continents.

? Each pumpkin contains about 500 seeds.

? Pumpkins are low in calories, fat, and sodium and high in fiber. They're good sources of Vitamin A, Vitamin B, potassium, protein, and iron.

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/csm/~3/Kjpbj_EjtCk/Jack-o-lanterns-and-more-five-symbols-in-the-history-of-Halloween

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