Fairytale Pumpkins Have Officially Taken Over Fall Decorating, And We're Charmed
Whether you consider yourself more of a Halloween fanatic or a Thanksgiving traditionalist, there is one universal fall decoration that transcends the two rival holidays. Pumpkins! From the beginning of October until it's time to drag the Christmas lights out of the attic, pumpkins can flank your doors with bursting fall color.
For years, you'd find only big and little orange pumpkins, perhaps a few white ones sprinkled in, at your basic grocery store. There might be a touch more variety at the local farm or pumpkin patch—a few warty ones, a couple multi-colored. What you didn't necessarily see much of? The belles of the monster ball: fairytale pumpkins. With deep grooves and colors that range from pastel orange to deep green to creamy white, fairytale pumpkins have finally made their way in droves to grocery stores, pumpkin patches, and most anywhere that sells autumn gourds. Now, many people prefer them over classic round pumpkins.
What are Fairytale Pumpkins?
Also known as Musquée de Provence, fairytale pumpkins are of a French heirloom variety and are revered for their large size and deeply ribbed shape. They're often confused with Cinderella Pumpkins, also known as Rouge Vif d'Etampes, which are similar but feature a flatter shape and primarily come in a deep orange-red color. Fairytale pumpkins are rounder and come in different colors, typically muted orange or green. There have been some newer varieties that offer more colors, such as white.
The origin of both charming nicknames comes from—you guessed it—the classic fairytale Cinderella, and the whimsical pumpkin varieties were said to inspire Cinderella illustrators in the making of the magical carriage. While they're both known to be quite the tasty pumpkin for cooking (particularly cinderella pumpkins), you'll most likely be seeing them more on porches this year than in kitchens.
Beyond being one of the most popular pumpkin varieties for decorating outdoor spaces during the fall 2021 season, fairytale pumpkins make quite the show-stopping centerpiece for your Thanksgiving table. Simply hollow out the center and insert a floral arrangement inside, using anything from a simple plastic cup to more elaborate flower foam. Here's our easy tutorial.
While not necessarily the ideal pumpkin for carving, a gaggle of these gourds stand alone as quite the enchanting display. It's probably best to stick to classic round orange pumpkins for the carving party. Here are some of our best Halloween carving ideas.
If you've been seeing more fairytale and cinderella pumpkins at your local farm or grocery store, it might be your sign to bibbity-bobbity bop on over and grab a few.
