It's almost like clockwork; the 4th of July gives way to Labor Day and as the last summer afternoons make way for the first frost of the year: cue the pumpkin spice. And I mean it's everywhere.  Candles.  Room freshener.  Beverages.  There is no escaping the scent, the flavor, and the trend.

How did pumpkin spice get to be so synonymous with the fall season?  It wasn't that way all the time - was it? Thinking back just a few short years ago it didn't seem like such a rabid phenomenon as it is presently.

And just as there are devoted pumpkin spice aficionados, a divide exists.  It seems like there isn't a middle ground - you either really, really, really like pumpkin spice or you really, really, really don't.  (Emphasis added)

Autumnal fruits and vegetables against defocused holiday lights.
Vitalina
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You can argue all day long about what constitutes pumpkin spice (does it include pumpkin or not?); you can debate what it should be added to (sausage and meat, anyone?); and you can disagree on whether or not it should be consumed and available year-round (watermelon pumpkin-spice coolers, anyone?).  But you can't ignore the way that business and society has embraced the flavor as the current "what's hot" item.

As on observer of human nature, I ponder when this trend will peak.  I mean, how many other pumpkin spice items can we possible come up with?  On the other hand though, I applaud the commercialism and those who have found a way to profit from it.

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So even if you're maxed out on the whole phenomenon, I bet there are some surprising things you didn't know about pumpkin spice.  Read on.

[H/T:  IFTScientific AmericanPopsugar, Craves]

Surprising Things You Didn't Know About Pumpkin Spice

From lattes and candy to toilet paper and beauty products, pumpkin spice is everywhere these days. Here are some fun facts you may not have known about everyone's favorite flavor.

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