Have you spotted any teal pumpkins for sale anywhere? If you shop at CVS, you might have. Or maybe you’ve seen one in someone’s yard or on their porch and thought, “Oh, what an interesting color,” and wondered where they got it. Or maybe you thought it looked like an attempt to give the familiar fall staple a spring-y or summery makeover.
Then again, perhaps you or a loved one has a food allergy, and you’re in the know about the special meaning of teal pumpkins. Thanks to Family Handyman, I recently learned they’re more than just offbeat, colorful decorations.
The Teal Pumpkin Project
The Food Allergy Research and Education (FARE) organization is a non-profit that educates and empowers people with food allergies. Advocacy and awareness initiatives are a major part of their focus. And one facet of that is their Teal Pumpkin Project.
Well, actually, it all started with the Food Allergy Community of East Tennessee (FACET). They were the first to come up with the idea of a way to make Halloween more inclusive for kids with food allergies.
In the FAQs on the project’s page, FARE explains that one in 13 kids has a food allergy, many of which can cause life-threatening reactions. They explain, “Many popular Halloween candies contain nuts, milk, egg, soy or wheat, which are some of the most common allergens in children and adults.”
That makes Halloween challenging—and discouraging—for kids with food allergies. For some, their allergies are so severe it’s not safe to trick or treat at all. But teal pumpkins signal houses that hand out non-food items in addition to candy.
As for what kind of non-food items to hand out, FARE recommends glow sticks or small toys. (Oriental Trading has some great bulk toy items, including plush Halloween characters and bears, rubber duckies, squishy balls, slime, and more.)
Teal Pumpkins: Make or Buy
As mentioned at the start of this post, CVS has teamed up with FARE. They’ve also committed to carrying a variety of non-food toys for handing out to trick-or-treaters.
However, you can also make your own. You only need a pumpkin (real or foam) and some paint (spray or a small paint can).
For More Info
For more information about the Teal Pumpkin Project, visit https://www.foodallergy.org/resources/about-teal-pumpkin-project.
To see the map of Teal Pumpkin Project locations, visit https://www.foodallergy.org/our-initiatives/awareness-campaigns/teal-pumpkin-project/map.
Check-In
If you pass out Halloween candy, do you ever include non-food items for those with allergies?
Courtney Mroch is a globe-trotting restless spirit who’s both possessed by wanderlust and the spirit of adventure, and obsessed with true crime, horror, the paranormal, and weird days. Perhaps it has something to do with her genes? She is related to occult royalty, after all. Marie Laveau, the famous Voodoo practitioner of New Orleans, is one of her ancestors. (Yes, really! As explained here.) That could also explain her infatuation with skeletons.
Speaking of mystical, to learn how Courtney channeled her battle with cancer to conjure up this site, check out HJ’s Origin Story.
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The teal pumpkins are a great idea! I have included non-food items, but I admit I wasn’t thinking allergies. I was thinking kids might not like the candy bars I picked out.
That’s another thoughtful reason for not handing out non-food items, Vera! #Love