National Watermelon Day: Date, History, Facts & Celebration

4to40.com August 2, 2024 Public Awareness 215 Views

National Watermelon Day is celebrated on August 3rd each year to honour the delicious and refreshing fruit. Learn about the history of watermelon and interesting facts about the fruit in this article.

National Watermelon Day: 03 August

#NationalWatermelonDay is celebrated each year on the 3rd of August to celebrate the delicious fruit. Watermelon is known to be 92% water which makes it an amazing snack and a great way to stay hydrated.

This vine-like flowering plant originated from southern Africa. While the word watermelon refers to both the fruit and the plant to botanists, the plant is a pepo. The pepo is a berry with a thick rind and fleshy center. Interestingly, pepos develop from an inferior ovary. They are also characteristic of the Cucurbitaceae, a scientific term for the gourd family.

While the watermelon fruit is loosely considered a type of melon, unlike other melons, it’s not in the genus Cucumis. The smooth exterior usually produces a dark green rind with stripes or yellow spots. Watermelons produce a juicy, sweet interior flesh ranging from deep red to pink. However, sometimes it comes in orange, yellow, or white.

While melon holds plentiful water, wild melons tasted bland and bitter. This clue suggests that desert dwellers likely cultivated the first melon. The seeds and art found in the tombs of Pharaoh’s supply additional clues to the watermelon’s value. tombs of Pharaohs. Over time, cultivation and breeding brought out the better qualities of the sweet and tender fruit we enjoy today.

With proper growing conditions, watermelons grow to enormous sizes. Around the world, competitions award prizes each year for the largest one. The Guinness Book of World Records states that the heaviest watermelon weighed 262 pounds. To learn more refreshing watermelon facts, check out www.watermelon.org.

The history of cultivation of this fruit dates back to 2000 B.C. with the first watermelon seeds found in Northeastern Africa that dated back to 5000 years ago.

The National Library of Medicine mentions: “Archaeological remains of watermelons, mostly seeds, that date from 5000 years ago have been found in northeastern Africa. An image of a large, striped, oblong fruit on a tray has been found in an Egyptian tomb that dates to at least 4000 years ago.”

Today this fruit is a choice of many people. China is known for its high production of watermelons with over 38 million produced in 2020.

On this great occasion, we bring you some interesting facts about watermelon:

According to Guinness World Records, the heaviest watermelon ever cultivated was 350.5 lb grown by Chris Kent in the USA. He received the prize for it on October 4, 2013.
The official name for this delicious fruit is Citrullus lanatus according to the National Library of Medicine.
Watermelon.org states that there are over 1,200 varieties of watermelon that are grown across 96 countries worldwide.
Watermelon is considered as a popular gift for hosts in China. According to the Journal of Agriculture, this fruit holds agricultural cultural heritage in China.
Early explorers used this fruit as canteens according to Watermelon.org.
Watermelon rinds can be used to create pickles. The first recipe for this was published in 1796 in the American Cookery cookbook.
According to FAOSTAT data, the United States is the 8th largest producer of watermelons in the world. China holds the top spot.

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How to Celebrate National Watermelon Day?

Here are some ways through which you can celebrate National Watermelon Day:

Organise a picnic: Gather your friends and family and celebrate this amazing day by eating watermelon.
Host a watermelon carving competition: This is a fun activity that will keep the young and the old ones engaged. See who can carve the best watermelon.
Go on a watermelon hunt: Hide watermelons around your yard or neighbourhood and provide clues to your friends and family to find the hidden watermelon treasure.