Weirdest American Holiday Traditions

Jordana Weiss | December 19, 2018

Pumpkin Spice Everything

The spice mix used in pumpkin pie has been a standard since the early days of this country. Pumpkins were easy to grow, were in season in the fall, and with the addition of these spices (which vary based on the producer but often contain ground cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, and allspice) make a delicious, creamy pie. However, it was only in the 2000s that the pumpkin spice craze began to take over the country.

Pumpkin spice lattes were released by Starbucks in 2003, and since then, manufacturers have produced everything from pumpkin spice breakfast cereal to bagels, almonds, Oreos, and even Jell-O. Sure, it all tastes good, but unless you’re talking about an actual pumpkin pie, what you’re eating or drinking probably only contains artificial pumpkin flavoring.

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