If You See a Teal Pumpkin on Halloween, Here's What It Means
Nothing says childhood joy as much as trick-or-treating for Halloween candy. However, the tasty tradition poses challenges for families with children who have food allergies. The prevalence of food allergies among young children is increasing, with some cases being severe or life-threatening. Approximately 8% of all children (about one in 13 children) in the United States are affected by food allergies, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. But this Halloween, you can make a difference and enhance trick-or-treating safety for children with food allergies—simply place a teal pumpkin outside your home.
What does it mean if a house displays a teal pumpkin outside?
Teal pumpkins represent a non-profit program called the Teal Pumpkin Project, which aims to raise awareness about food allergens that impact children on Halloween. The goal is to make those young trick-or-treaters feel included in the holiday festivities by offering them safe alternatives to Halloween candy, much of which contains common food allergens like wheat, eggs, soy, nuts, and milk. This could mean handing out fun little Halloween crafts or toys to children who suffer from food allergies. And you can signal that you'll be doing so by—you guessed it—placing a teal pumpkin outside your home.
What does a teal Halloween bucket mean?
Before you decide what to put in a teal pumpkin, the first step is to put one on your doorstep or at the front of your house. Then, fill it with fun Halloween trinkets like festive stickers, spider rings, and glow sticks! You can also add your home to the Teal Pumpkin Project map to let trick-or-treaters know you'll be handing out non-food Halloween treats. Then, the only thing left to do is spread the word! You can share this movement with your friends, family, and neighbors by simply telling them, or by printing out these free flyers, signs, and kids' activities.
By the way, just because you're participating in the Teal Pumpkin Project doesn't mean you can't also pass out traditional Halloween treats to children who don't have allergies. The program just recommends keeping your food treats and non-food treats in separate bowls to keep things as safe as possible.
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