Have you ever heard of the pumpkin festival in Keene, New Hampshire in the United States? It's a wonderful celebration that takes place every year in October. The city becomes a magical place filled with glowing pumpkins. This festival is known all over the world and many people come to see the thousands of carved pumpkins that light up the night.
One of the most exciting parts of the festival is the pumpkin carving contest. Children, just like you, can participate! They use their creativity and imagination to carve funny or scary faces, shapes, and designs into the pumpkins. Once the carving is done, a small candle is placed inside and the pumpkin is lit up, creating a beautiful sight.
Another fun activity for children is the pumpkin tower. Every year, the festival organisers build a large tower and cover it with carved pumpkins. It's a sight to behold, especially when it gets dark and the pumpkins on the tower are all lit up. Children can help by carving their own pumpkins to add to the tower.
Even though we don't have an official pumpkin festival in Ireland, that doesn't mean we can't enjoy pumpkins. In Ireland, we often use pumpkins in cooking and baking, especially in Autumn. We make pumpkin soup, pumpkin bread, and even pumpkin pie. So, even if we don't have a festival, we certainly know how to celebrate the pumpkin in our own way.