A lot of people (my parents in particular) aren’t aware of it, but this coming Sunday is “National Sneak Some Squash into your Parents’ Mini-Van Day.” As you might have guessed, this holiday marks the beginning of a months-long celebration of a bountiful harvest. Other special occasions in this celebration include “Sneak a Zucchini onto your Neighbor’s Porch Night” and “Leave Tomatoes on your Co-Workers’ Desks Week.”
A few folks might note that I have a history of growing zucchini and other squash in my garden and find it awfully convenient that this holiday season comes just about the time I’d be starting to harvest squash. To them I say, “Yeah, it’s funny how that works out.”
And then some particularly observant folks might find it even more interesting how the first time they ever heard of this celebration was just a few days after my next door neighbor gave me a shopping bag full of squash. To those people I say, “That’s creepy! Stop spying on me!”
The key to a successful “sneak some squash” celebration is, of course, a small amount of stealth. If your parents don’t live nearby, you can surprise other people you care about with the unexpected gift of squash. Likewise, if there’s no mini-van to deposit the squash into, other means of presentation are also acceptable. The key is for the recipient to unexpectedly find themselves face to face with squash.
So how will you be celebrating this year’s squash season?