folklore - Austria / II. Republic of Austria 1999 - 8 Shilling

The annual Pumpkin Festival is one of the most important events in Lower Austria in the late autumn of every year. In recent years, the Retzer Land has become more and more popular as a region of festivals - an area where people can celebrate. The pumpkin festival in Retzer Land, which attracts thousands of visitors every year, has a long tradition. An idea that was not initially taken seriously by everyone mutated into a festival of gigantic proportions. Those responsible can rightly speak of the biggest festival in the Weinviertel. The first pumpkin festival in 1993 was held mainly in Retz, whereby the municipality Zellerndorf has already distinguished itself this year with the holding of its own slightly smaller pumpkin festival. The original idea, namely to declare the festival as a walking tour and to hold it annually in another municipality of the Retzer Land, has been retained. The pumpkin is a very old crop. Even more than ten thousand years ago, there should have been pumpkins in South and Central America, even a pumpkin culture epoch is mentioned. Pumpkins are older than beans and corn. Under the hard shell is the very juicy, white or yellow pulp, rich in vitamins and minerals. Even the kernels, roasted or processed into pumpkin seed oil, have a high value in the healthy diet.