Remembering Linus and the Great Pumpkin this Halloween

Who can forget Linus Van Pelt's unwavering devotion to the Great Pumpkin? According to the legend, created by Charles M. Schulz in his comic strip Peanuts, the Great Pumpkin flew threw the air each Halloween night to deliver toys to boys and girls in pumpkin patches all around the world. He would only deliver to the most “sincerest” of pumpkin patches, and if Great Pumpkin doubters were present, they would be passed by for another year.

Linus spent many a Halloween sitting in his pumpkin patch waiting for the Great Pumpkin, skipping trick-or-treating for the promise of a glimpse of his cherished holiday idol. He never saw him. Yet Linus came back to the pumpkin patch year after year, because he believed.

I got to thinking about Linus and what he would be like if he were an adult today. I imagine he would be slim and trim as he never developed a sugar habit like all the other children did who trick-or-treated every year. Since he was an extremely intelligent and sensitive child (remember his security blanket?), I think he'd probably have the same characteristics as an adult and would think about our economy, food safety and obesity problems. He would question why we are buying so much of our food from China when we have such great pumpkin patches here. I picture him to be a local food advocate and of course, still a Great Pumpkin advocate.

This Halloween, bring back the spirit of Linus Van Pelt. Take your children to a pumpkin patch instead of the grocery store to pick out their pumpkins. Show them where Halloween pumpkins come from and share with them the story of Linus and the Great Pumpkin. Carve the pumpkins with them and roast the pumpkin seeds afterwards. Studies show that involving your kids in their food preparation instills good eating habits early. We may not have the Great Pumpkin, but we can give them great food to believe in!

P.S. Pumpkin Seeds and Pumpkin were recently listed as #7 and #11, respectively as “The 11 Best Foods You Aren’t Eating”. (NY Times Blog by Tara Parker-Pope)