Mark Twain best summed up America’s adoration for that succulent symbol of summer when he said, “When one has tasted watermelon, he knows what the angels eat.”

And as the angels sit on their clouds, their wings sticky with nectar, we mere mortals can revel in the pure joy that comes from biting into the first ripe watermelon slice of the season — laughing, eating, and occasionally spitting a few seeds. All across the country, thousands of watermelon fans gather for festivals, often wearing watermelon inspired clothing and makeup, ready to sample the latest in watermelon lotions, lip balm, candy, and gum, as well as a plethora of unusual, and sometimes unsettling, watermelon dishes and drinks.

These festivals are ripe for those wishing to break some of the long-standing watermelon-based world records, such as the largest specimen (350.5 pounds), the most crushed with a head in one minute (49), the most eaten in 30 seconds (1 1/2 pounds), and the farthest a watermelon seed has been spat (75 feet, 2 inches). The trick to the last endeavor is to moisten your mouth with a little watermelon, choose a large seed, then roll your tongue, creating a channel for the seed to traverse, while simultaneously blowing as hard as possible.

Abraham Lincoln was a watermelon devotee, and in 1853 he christened his namesake community of Lincoln, Nebraska, by slicing open a melon and pouring the juice onto the ground. That memorable occasion has been commemorated with a two-foot steel replica of a watermelon slice, known as the Lincoln Watermelon Monument.

Watermelon is so hugely popular that it not only gets its own National Watermelon Day Aug. 3, but it also boasts a whole National Watermelon Month to be celebrated in July, although perhaps the angels can explain why those two events do not coincide. While watermelon was undoubtedly heaven sent, that delivery happened some 5,000 years ago. First harvested in ancient Egypt, watermelon is represented in several hieroglyphic engravings, although, disappointingly, these etchings do not depict ancient Egyptians spitting seeds at one another. Rather, watermelon is pictured as a gift devotedly bestowed upon royalty, or as an on-your-way-to-the-afterlife treat buried alongside their kings.

Later, watermelon traveled on merchant ships, eventually landing in China, where it was so beloved, the country ultimately became the world’s largest producer. Because watermelon is 92 percent water, explorers traveling the globe often used their melon merchandise as canteens. In America, farmers now produce more than 4 billion pounds of watermelon annually, making it the most-consumed melon in our country.

Botanists are adamant that watermelon is a fruit because it is produced from pollinated flowers and is chock full of plant-producing seeds. They go even further out on the vine and proclaim it a berry, as it is coreless and entirely edible. Some gardeners, however, consider watermelon to be a vegetable because these plants are frequently grown in vegetable gardens using the same techniques necessary to produce a crop of beans, peas, and corn. And watermelon planting and harvest schedules make them, at the very least, vegetable-wanna-bes, even if the scientific community isn’t willing to embrace them as such. The 2007 Oklahoma Legislature even gave homage to this juicy delicacy by naming it the state’s official — vegetable.

Oh, well. The debate rages on.