National Watermelon Day
About National Watermelon Day
Date When Celebrated: National Watermelon Day is always observed on August 3
Mark your calendar and don’t miss this juicy August 3 holiday. This big and juicy fruit deserves it’s own big day. So, we give pause to celebrate big melons on National Watermelon Day. Sweet and tasty, watermelons, are one of summer’s favorite fruit. It’s standard fare at picnics. While this fruit is over 90% water, it sure tastes good. And, what picnic would be complete without a seed spitting contest?
Summer is the time to consume watermelons in large quantities. They ripen in the field in July and August, and even earlier in some southern states. July is the peak month, just in time for Fourth of July picnics. But, please don’t limit your consumption of watermelon to just this month. Stores carry watermelon for twelve months of the year.
World Record Watermelon: This fruit can grow quite large, make that huge. Sure, there are small, home garden varieties that just about fit into the palm of your hand. But, watermelons can weigh hundreds of pounds each. The world record heaviest watermelon weighed in at 350.5 pounds on October 4, 2013. It was grown by Chris Kent of Sevierville, Tennessee.
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National Watermelon Day and Fun Facts
Here are some trivia and fun facts about this awesome fruit:
- From a botanical standpoint, it is considered both a vegetable and a fruit.
- The fruit is excellent for hydration., It contains 92% water. The fruit is high in heart-healthy and cancer-fighting lycopene.
- Worldwide, it is one of the most popular fruits.
- Worldwide, over 120 million tons are produced every year.
- China accounts for 67% of production.
- There are over 1,000 varieties.
- They are members of the Cucurbita family which also includes cucumbers, gourds, pumpkins, and squash.
- The heaviest watermelon ever grown weighed 350.5 pounds. Grown by Chris Kent from Sevierville, Tennessee. It was weighed at the SOGPG GPC weigh-off in Hamilton, Ohio on October 4, 2013.
- Egyptian pharaohs were buried with watermelons at their side to accompany them on their final journey. Summer picnics aren’t complete without a watermelon seed-spitting contest
- In 1995, Jason Schayot of De Leon, Texas set the current world record. He spit a seed 75 feet 2 inches. You need a sizable garden to grow the plants. The vines typically grow ten to twelve feet. And the secondary vines grow out away from the main vine almost as far.
How to Celebrate National Watermelon Day
It’s easy to celebrate this food holiday.
- Put watermelon on your menu for lunch, dinner, or a snack.
- And, if you’re over 21 have a watermelon daiquiri today!
- Hold a seed-spitting contest.
- Make and serve fruit salad.
- Save some of the seeds to grow in your garden next year.
Today's Quote
“Success isn’t measured by how many times you win, but by how you play the week after you lose.” – – Pele
History and Origin of National Watermelon Day
The National Watermelon Promotion Board sponsors this special holiday. They told us they did not create this holiday and do not know who did. In answering why this date was chosen, spokesperson Stephanie Barlow stated “Every day is National Watermelon Day to us!”
This holiday goes back to at least 2005.
Of interesting note: National Watermelon Month is in July, while National Watermelon Day is in August. No one knows why this is, although it gives us an extra day to celebrate this wonderful fruit!
This is not a true “National” day. Neither the U.S. Congress nor the President of the United States has proclaimed today to be National Watermelon Day.
Definition of “National” Days – and why it is so important to distinguish and identify true national days.
This Day in History
Here are a couple of things that happened on this date:
- Christopher Columbus sets sail on his first voyage to the “Indies” with three ships – the Nina, Pinta, and Santa Maria. (1492)
- Adolph Hitler declares himself the Fuhrer. (1934)
- Tom Brady, NFL New England Patriots Quarterback was born on this day in 1977.
More Information
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More About Today
What happened on this Day? This Day in History
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Plant of the Day: Watermelon Plant, of course!
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Did You Know? In addition to National Watermelon Day, there are literally thousands of daily holidays, special events, and observances, more than one for every day of the year. Many of these holidays are new, too. People and organizations are creating new holidays on a regular basis. And, August holidays are no exception. Consequently, at Holiday Insights, we take great efforts to thoroughly research and document the details of each one, as completely and accurately as possible.