Pumpkin pie holds a special place on tables across the USA, particularly during the holiday season. Celebrated on December 25, National Pumpkin Pie Day highlights the importance of this beloved dessert in American culinary culture. Served as the finale to a Christmas dinner or enjoyed as a cozy autumn treat, pumpkin pie has a long history rooted in seasonal traditions and cherished memories. Its simple ingredients—pumpkin, spices, eggs, and sugar—mask the depth of its flavor and the richness of its heritage.
Pumpkin pie recipes date back to early American settlers, who adapted English pie-making traditions to the ingredients available in the New World. Over time, the dessert has become a holiday staple, not only for its taste but for the symbolism of the harvest season and the connection it offers to the past. It’s no wonder this dessert gets its own national day of celebration.
You can find out more about the history of pumpkins and pumpkin pie in the video below:
When is National Pumpkin Pie Day Celebrated?
National Pumpkin Pie Day lands on December 25 each year, coinciding perfectly with the holiday season. As families gather to celebrate Christmas, it’s the ideal time to enjoy a slice of this comforting and festive dessert. If you’re eager to mark this special day on your calendar, here’s when National Pumpkin Pie Day will take place in the coming years:
| Year | Date |
|---|---|
| 2024 | December 25, Wednesday |
| 2025 | December 25, Thursday |
| 2026 | December 25, Friday |
| 2027 | December 25, Saturday |
| 2028 | December 25, Monday |
| 2029 | December 25, Tuesday |
| 2030 | December 25, Wednesday |
Fun Facts About Pumpkin Pie
From the pie’s humble beginnings to some extraordinary records, pumpkin pie has many interesting stories behind it. Let’s take a look at a few facts that might surprise you:
- The early settlers of New England used hollowed-out pumpkins filled with milk, honey, and spices as a type of custard, rather than the pies we know today.
- The largest pumpkin pie ever made weighed over 3,600 pounds, with a diameter of 20 feet. It required hundreds of pounds of ingredients, including over 1,200 pounds of canned pumpkin.
- While many modern recipes use canned pumpkin, traditionalists sometimes opt for fresh pumpkins. There’s an ongoing debate about which version delivers the best flavor. Professional chefs and food bloggers like Alton Brown have highlighted the flavor differences, while proponents of canned pumpkin emphasize its convenience and consistent texture. Even pie-baking competitions and home cooks get involved, often divided between the natural flavors of fresh pumpkin and the reliability of canned pumpkin in recipes.
Before You Go:
We have many more national days lists for you to explore.
- Food-related national days: complete list of national food days, pasta & noodles days, vegan & vegetarian days, mushroom days, ice-cream days, pizza days, coffee days, chocolate days, wine days, alcohol & drinking days.
- Non-food national days: National Days Calendar 2025 (check out the printable calendars in my Etsy shop), National Days for Teachers, and a wide array of special lists such as cat days, dog days, animal days, cleaning & organizing days, book days, music days, family & relationships days, national days for women, stationery days and even Harry Potter days.
- Country-specific national days: Australian national days, more coming soon.
