You heard it! The weather is getting colder and it’s time to bring out those fun fall festivities. But, have you ever really thought about what goes into those famous fall traditions?

Let’s start with the well-known flavor of fall. Pumpkin spice might not be what most think. The delicious ingredient is actually made from pumpkin pie spice. It doesn’t even include pumpkin! It’s a blend of ground cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves and sometimes allspice. According to Better Homes & Gardens, most pumpkin spice originates back to the Dutch East India Company in the early 1600s. In “The Practice of Cookery,” a similar brand of “mixed spices” came up in 1791. Pumpkin spice is known as the most popular fall spice blend. The yummy fall flavor can be found at many grocery stores and coffee shops during the autumn season.

Carving pumpkins is one of the most popular fall activities for kids around Halloween. Many children love creating fun faces and seeing them come to life with a candle on the inside. Carving vegetables has been around for centuries and has been practiced across the world. The carving of pumpkins originated in Ireland. In the 19th century, different types of squash were carved into faces for Halloween in Ireland and Scotland. Eventually, the tradition carried over to pumpkins and is now used as decoration around the world.

The most common movies to watch in the fall are horror movies. Horror movies have been around for ages and are exciting to watch during the season. The earliest horror movies were influenced by German Expressionist cinema. The horror industry first got started in 1890 by Georges Méliès. Georges Méliès was a film director, actor, and illusionist. He was known for his use of special effects and was one of the first filmmakers to use storyboards. Viewers shouldn’t have a problem finding a spooky movie to watch this season, as horror movies are consistently getting released. Upcoming horror movies include: “Jeepers Creepers: Reborn,” “Don’t Worry Darling,” “My Best Friend’s Exorcism,” “Smile” and “Halloween Ends.”

It’s about time for pumpkin patches to start opening! Pumpkin patches have been around since the 1500s. According to HerbaZest , the pumpkin plant had been native to European explorers but Theodore de Bry’s 1590 engraving of the village of Secotan, which is now modern-day North Carolina, seems to be the first representation of a pumpkin patch. Theodore de Bry was a Dutch engraver in the late 1500s and was best known for his suspicions about the New World after Europeans discovered it. The picture of the pumpkin patch showed fields of pumpkins and people socializing. Pumpkin patches have come a long way over the years and are now in most developed nations.