Fact: Pumpkins are a type of squash and a fruit, indigenous to the western hemisphere and are low in fat and sodium but high in fibre. They're also good sources of vitamins A and B, protein, potassium and iron.

Fact: The biggest pumpkin pie ever baked was 350 pounds and 5 feet in diameter.

Fact: Pumpkins are grown on every continent in the world, except Antarctica.

Fact: To grow a pumpkin patch, plant seeds in the last week of May to the middle of June; they take 3 to 4 months to grow and should be ready for Halloween!

Fact: Halloween is one of the most celebrated holidays in North America, second only to Christmas.

Fact: Trick or Treating in North America is thought to have originated after WWII, when children used to go from door to door collecting money for UNICEF.

Pumpkins Revealed

• Pumpkins are actually fruit! Their seeds make them a member of the cucurbita - or gourd - family, which includes squash, cucumber and melon.
• The largest pumpkin in North America weighed in at 1,262 pounds in Canby, Oregon in 2001. That's a lot of pie!
• The jack-o'-lantern originates from an Irish myth about a man named "Stingy Jack" who tricked the devil and was sent into the night with only a burning piece of coal to light his way. He put the hot coal in a carved out turnip and still roams the earth to this day. To scare away Jack and other wandering spirits, the Irish carved scary faces into turnips and potatoes, placing them in windows and doorways.