Pumpkin Seeds and Old Traditions

Today we visited a "roadside" pumpkin patch. 

I have been wanting to roast some pumpkin seeds so we stopped to check them out and explore.

When he found the perfect one, he hugged it and loudly proclaimed it cute! 

Yeah, we brought it home.

I've mentioned before that little Mister is kind of a neat freak for his age. I was wondering if he'd actually touch the 'guts' of the pumpkin. My guts were accurate . . . he wouldn't. He did however touch the seeds once they were in the bowl.

I have always enjoyed roasting pumpkin seeds. Wanna know why? 

When I was in the 1st grade we lived in Mt. Airy, NC. I LOVED going to school because I had the greatest teacher! That Fall, I vividly remember her bringing a toaster oven and a huge pumpkin to her classroom. She let everyone take turns digging in the pumpkin and pulling out the seeds. She read us fun stories about pumpkins while they cooked. She then gathered us in a big circle on the floor and passed around a bowl filled with the freshly made treats! It was a wonderful day.

We made some today using the recipe below. 

I wonder if anyone else has traditions they have started with their families that begun with a wonderful teacher in school?