Teal, Blue, And Purple Jack-O-Lanterns: What They Mean & How These Color-Coded Treat Buckets Are Helping Children Stay Safe This Halloween
One of the best parts of Halloween is seeing kiddos scamper from house to house in hopes of collecting the biggest collection of candy they have ever laid their eyes on.
And for parents, checking out the wildly creative costumes that children come up with every year is another fun holiday pastime.
But, this Halloween, adults should not just be looking at the creative get-ups. Instead, they need to pay attention to what children are putting their candy in.
That’s right– I am talking about the classic plastic jack-o-lantern buckets that can be purchased at Targets, Walmarts, and other superstores across the country.
While most children opt for the traditional orange color, though, those who choose to rock a teal, purple, or blue jack-o-lantern are not just trying out a new style. No, these kids are actually letting neighbors know that they have a special need, condition, or allergy.
Halloween Should Be Fun For Everyone
It’s stressful for most parents to let their children run free on Halloween. But, parents of children with food allergies, epilepsy, and Autism spectrum disorder face much more specific fears.
Rather than excluding some children from the spooky season fun, though, color-coded pumpkin baskets allow all kids to safely enjoy the holiday. And of course, they give parents some peace of mind.
Plus, rocking a colored pumpkin is a great way to raise awareness about important causes– so it’s a win-win!
JenkoAtaman – stock.adobe.com – illustrative purpose only, not the actual person
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Color-Coded Pumpkins & What They Mean
First up is the teal-colored pumpkin, which was the original trendsetter for this color-coded movement that started back in 2012.
Teal represents allergy awareness. So, if you see a child carrying a teal jack-o-lantern, that means that non-edible items, such as glowsticks, are a much better treat option.
And if you do not have a non-edible treat to distribute– don’t sweat it. It is much better to be safe and decline your possibly allergen-containing candy than be sorry.
Next is the blue pumpkin bucket, which signifies that the child carrying it has Autism spectrum disorder (ASD).
This #BluePumpkin movement was inspired by the teal pumpkin bucket and helps alerts community members of general behavior. For example, children may be unable to make eye contact, tolerate wearing a mask, or verbally interact.
But, just like any other child, this does not mean that they are not thrilled to be engaging in the Halloween festivities!
Finally, purple pumpkins are a part of the Purple Pumpkin Project– an effort to spread epilepsy awareness and raise funds for research.
Children also carry purple pumpkin buckets to start an open conversation about their experience with the disorder and, in the event of an emergency, inform community members of their diagnosis.
How You Can Get Involved
The teal, blue, and purple pumpkin movements have each spurred massive chatter on social media.
For example, #BluePumpkin has over 3.1 million views on TikTok; meanwhile, #TealPumpkinProject has grown to garner over 1 million views on the platform.
So, you can jump into the conversation and start spreading the word about what these color-coded pumpkins mean and how to best treat children carrying them.
Plus, if you or a loved one are affected by one of these causes but are perhaps too old to trick-or-treat, you can display a painted pumpkin on your own front porch. This simple act will keep the conversation flowing throughout your neighborhood and allow you to stand in solidarity with the children of your community.
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