3rd of August – National Watermelon Day

VeronikaLove wants to congratulate you on a very sweet and juice holiday – Watermelon Day! Here is the story of how such an unusual holiday appeared and why it became so popular all over the world!

The holiday leads its history from the United States, where it is celebrated as National Watermelon Day. Perfectly quenching thirst and being not at all high-calorie, the watermelon, of course, deserved its own holiday. Although it is not known who installed it and when, it does not lose its popularity because of this, gaining more and more supporters every year. Therefore, today it is safe to say that the holiday has become international.

According to dictionaries, ordinary watermelon (Latin: Citrullus lanatus) is a melon crop, an annual herb, a species of the genus Watermelon (Citrullus) of the Pumpkin family (Cucurbitaceae). The color of watermelon bark can be different: from white and yellow to dark green with a pattern in the form of a grid, stripes, spots. And the flesh is pink, red, raspberry, less often white and yellow. By structure, watermelon is considered a berry and is currently grown in 96 countries in more than 1200 varieties.

According to historians, the homeland of watermelon is South Africa. It is known that already in Ancient Egypt people knew and cultivated this plant, which is confirmed by excavations. So, in the era of the Middle Kingdom in the 20th century BC watermelons were often placed in the tombs of the pharaohs as a food source in their afterlife (for example, seeds were found in the tomb of Tutankhamun).

It is no secret that watermelons are not only tasty but also a very healthy delicacy. It contains more than 90% water and only about 6% sugar of the total mass. Watermelon is an excellent source of vitamin A, contains a complex of B vitamins, vitamin C and folic acid. Watermelon is one of the leaders in the content of lycopene, a very powerful antioxidant. All this not only helps to strengthen the immune system but also helps the body to maintain the normal function of the nervous system and the formation of red blood cells. In addition, salts of iron, potassium, sodium, phosphorus, magnesium, contained in the pulp of watermelon, have a beneficial effect on the activity of the blood, digestion, cardiovascular system, and endocrine glands.

Watermelon is used in medical nutrition for anemia, diseases of the cardiovascular system, diseases of the liver and urinary tract, it has a diuretic and choleretic effect, prevents the formation of stones in the gall bladder, helps to remove cholesterol from the body, and also helps to control heart rate and regulates blood pressure. Watermelon juice quenches thirst in a febrile state. And, of course, watermelons can be used not only as a source of vitamins and minerals but also as a tool for raising the mood.