Watermelons: The Pumpkins Of Summer//October 307th, 2021

Today is National Watermelon Day!

I may not be much of a summer ghoul, (and by “not much” I mean “not even the slightest bit) but I have always enjoyed watermelon. It’s probably my favorite fruit/fruity flavor.

Back in 2015, thinking about how watermelon-flavored treats tend to become a big thing in the summer months, I tweeted this:

Though I can’t find the proof of it now, (It was hard enough to dig up the actual tweet!) this tweet got quite a bit of a response, at least compared to what I was used to at the time. It was like I somehow had shown a light on something people hadn’t realized before.

It’s true, though, if you really think about it. Both watermelons and pumpkins appear in big bins in the stores at the beginning of their respective seasons, and are bought up by everyone until said season has passed. Both also somewhat represent the official “flavor” of their season, heavily featured in different foods and drinks that are often bypassed once the season is over. Watermelons may be available year round while pumpkins are not, but they are still associated more with summer than any other time of year, even appearing on decorations and advertisements relating to the season.

What’s amazing to me, though, is that over the years, watermelon jack o’lanterns have even become a thing! I’ve seen so many people in the spooky community this year carving their own watermelons to resemble the jack o’lantern grins we all know and love so much. It’s definitely something I’d like to try for myself someday, especially because for once, I know I wouldn’t mind eating the jack o’lantern guts!

I can’t say for sure if my silly, spur-of-the-moment, random-thought tweet from 2015 is truly what made people think about it, but it does make me happy to see watermelons being truly regarded as the pumpkins of summer. I may not be a fan of the season in any capacity, but I have to say, this little detail makes me smile, and proves to me that I’m not the only one thinking of summer as the last stepping stone to the Halloween season.

Stay spooky, my friends.

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