And That's It in a Pumpkin Shell

 

Although rumor has it that pumpkins are 'New World' fruits, no one told the Chinese. I was looking around for information about gourds and stumbled across a lot of interesting stuff.

Obviously, gourds were early bowls and jars and containers. Since prehistoric times gourds have been carved to use as lanterns, protecting candle flames from the wind. The Chinese the calabash gourd to be a symbol of the universe. It shows up in Christian symbolism next to the apple, but I'm not clear on why.

Another mystery that will just have to rely on my interpretation is 'Peter, Peter, pumpkin eater' killed his wife and buried her in the pumpkin patch. How else could you keep someone very well in a pumpkin shell? Until someone comes up with another explanation, that's the one I'm sticking with.

Gourds and pumpkins are fruits. And so are tomatoes in spite of an early Congress legislating that tomatoes were vegetables so that they could tax them.

Nancy Sherer

 

 


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