Holiday Traditions:The Great Pumpkin

I expressed in one of my earlier blog posts about how much I absolutely love traditions. One of my favorite things since getting married is finding out traditions from each of our families and making them our own. My absolute favorite tradition since meeting Matthew is The Great Pumpkin.

Before Matthew and I "officially" started dating, he told me the story of his family's tradition of The Great Pumpkin. The background story of the great pumpkin is actually pretty funny. When my mother-in-law was married to her first husband it was the time period where VHS tapes were popular, along with video games. So, she wanted a way to get the kids more movies and games, thus the great pumpkin was born.

Basically on Halloween night, you leave out peanut butter cups for the great pumpkin. You also carve a little jack o'lantern in them. Think of it like leaving cookies out from Santa. Then when you wake up the next day, November 1st, the "great pumpkin" will have left you a movie or video game. When Matthew told me this tradition, I fell in love with the idea. We celebrate it every year, and my sister even started adopting the idea. This year I bought Parker a veggie tales movie that the great pumpkin will leave at my house for him.

Random nerd fact about me and Matthew. We are really into Studio Ghibili films. So, this year, I am hoping the great pumpkin will leave me The Secret World of Arrietty. Yes... I realize this is borderline lame, but there is a no judgement zone here at When North Meets South, hear me? The Great Pumpkin is actually saving Matthew's movie until he gets home. So it will be wrapped and ready when he gets home. But, word on the street is that he'll be leaving him Season 6 of Dexter. That's just what's going around the rumor mill.

Since it's October, I just wanted to share this fun tradition that we have in our house. What about you guys out there? Any fun tradition that you celebrate with your family? Please comment and share! I'd love to hear all about them.


Oh! on a side note, look at this cute fall wreath I made. Excuse the ugly green door please!