“It's Her Tradition”: MIL Blows Up At Son And His Wife Over Pumpkin Patch Betrayal

Halloween is nearly upon us and with it, plenty of fun and spooky activities. Whether you find pumpkins funny or spooky-looking (maybe not before they’re carved), it’s likely that you might enjoy a visit to a nearby pumpkin patch.

The redditor u/QueenBeeJackie1’s family seemingly does. But their yearly trip to the patch was interrupted by a change of plans, which evolved into an argument of larger proportions. Scroll down to find the full story below.

Come fall, you can see a rather swift change from summertime activities to something more specific to the succeeding colorful season. Quite often, the change is accompanied by an emergence of all sorts of Halloween-related matters, as quite a few people seem to really enjoy the spooky time of the year.

Statista found that over 70% of Americans are planning on celebrating Halloween this year. The origins of the now widely celebrated festivity, taking place on the 31st of October, reportedly stem from the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain; that’s when people would light bonfires and wear all sorts of costumes to ward off ghosts.

According to the History Channel, in the eighth century, November 1st was declared the time to honor all saints, which over time incorporated some of the traditions of the Samhain festival. It pointed out that the evening before November 1st, titled All Hallows Eve, eventually turned into Halloween and integrated all sorts of activities, such as trick-or-treating or carving jack-o-lanterns. (According to Statista, the two are the most popular things to do on Halloween.)

With pumpkins taking center stage during the spooky season, it’s not surprising that people immerse themselves in all sorts of orange vegetable-based activities (and flavors likewise; needless to say that it’s also the time for all things pumpkin spice-flavored). For example, nearly 155 million Americans are planning on carving a pumpkin this year; more than in any of the last five years.

Another popular thing to do, whether to commemorate the spooky festivity or simply to take part in the seasonal joys fall brings, is visiting a pumpkin patch. Seemingly enjoyed by many, including the OP’s family, the activity is not only a way to spend quality time with your loved ones but a method to boost the economy as well; well, the sector of agritourism, at least.

A piece on FarmdocDaily covering the link between pumpkins and the aforementioned sector emphasized that pumpkin patches and similar attractions can be mutually beneficial for both the visitor and the farmer. It suggested that agrotourism allows customers to build a connection with a certain producer or product by familiarizing themselves better with it and taking part in on-farm activities. For farmers, incorporating bits of tourism in their farms can bear economic and social benefits.

According to the US Department of Agriculture, all states in the country produce pumpkins, but six of them stand out among the rest: Illinois, California, Indiana, Michigan, Texas, and Virginia; back in 2017, as much as 40% of pumpkin acres were harvested in these six states. As of September this year, there are reportedly close to 5000 pumpkin patches scattered all over the US.

With such an abundance of locations to choose from, it’s arguably safe to assume that quite a few families visit them during the fall months. And even though the OP was no longer going with the people she used to, she wasn’t willing to end the family tradition altogether.