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Teal and blue pumpkins: The meaning behind the colors

Many of the teal pumpkins that you see usually signify that the person carrying a container of that color has a food allergy, or that the person who lives in the home where the teal pumpkin is displayed has food allergies. The color can also signify that the home gives candy and treats that are allergy-friendly for those who might need special pieces. Popularized through the “Teal Pumpkin Project,” this color is used to make trick-or-treating safer and more inclusive for children with food allergies.

The practice was started by the Pink Pumpkin Project, a non-profit based in New York. 3.8 million women in the U.S. have a history of breast cancer, so spreading the word about organizations like the Breast Cancer Research Foundation is crucial. The following year, Laura was inspired by the burgeoning success of the Teal Pumpkin Project and learned of rumblings of how blue pumpkins were being used — and turning to her own community in Spartanburg, South Carolina, she founded what she calls the Yellow Pumpkin Parade.

A pumpkin that is tan—or sometimes even considered a light of shade of orange—is naturally occurring. It’s actually a squash and it’s known as the Long Island Cheese pumpkin. Because its flattened shape kind of evokes the shape of a cheese wheel, the Long Island Cheese pumpkin is so named and it has become a symbol of fall with many people decorating their porches and yards with these aesthetically-pleasing pumpkins. Just as a pink ribbon has come to represent Breast Cancer Awareness, so now does a pink pumpkin. If you see a house with a pink pumpkin outside its door, this could mean that someone inside is either a survivor, has been affected by breast cancer, or is offering a symbol of solidarity to those going through a diagnosis. It’s typically the Australian Blue pumpkin that you’ll notice has a bit of a blue tint.

Perhaps, as Jessica puts it, setting out white pumpkins will also encourage people to “open up their hearts to one another” on Halloween and beyond. “Instead of relying on others to be kind, I will only take my kids to visit places where I know they’ll be welcome,” she shared, like encantada meaning “Trunk or Treat” events at their school where the community is already close. “We might even knock on a few of our neighbor’s doors, but only the ones who know us personally. There are plenty of safe spaces to choose from that don’t involve trusting a stranger with my children.”

They also don’t indicate anything specific in terms of health concerns or allergies. Some varieties of pumpkins—or squash, really—aren’t orange at all but stay yellow, naturally. These varieties may include hybrids like the Mellow Yellow or Sunlight pumpkin. They don’t have a meaning behind them, they’re just a special variety of pumpkin which don’t have the distinctive orange colour we’re used to seeing. Purple pumpkin – Raises awareness for those who could have epilepsy and suffer from seizures. Like clockwork, officials and volunteers at Mothers Against Drunk Driving work hard to bring these sad facts to light.

To her, this “pure and sweet pumpkin” symbolized her daughter, Madelyn Grace, who she lost at 38 weeks pregnant. The next evening, she spelled out her feelings in a poem, “The White Pumpkin,” and shared it on her personal Facebook page. It didn’t take long for her words to extend beyond her circle — her poem racked up nearly 900 comments and 11,000 shares.

Dolls & Dollhouses / 8 hours agoThe Rainbow High series is a collection of 11-inch fashion dolls recognizable for bright rainbow-themed hair, stylish clothing and upscale accessories. Rather than focus on a single disorder or medical condition, Laura aimed to establish yellow pumpkins as a reminder to all participating in Halloween events or trick-or-treating to always practice patient kindness. And to put less stock in traditions that may require a conversation or a traditional costume.

Still, there are tons of different Halloween pumpkin color meanings—and it’s important to know all of them and what they signify. The teal pumpkin movement signifies that a child carrying it has severe food allergies and needs non-food items. Halloween is just around the corner, and whether you’ll be out with your kids or handing out candy from home, you might see some colorful pumpkins that have a special meaning. The most popular pumpkin remains the orange and black pumpkin pails from your childhood, but even those carry meaning. According to the Northeast Allergy, peanuts are the most common trigger of lethal food reactions.

Inspired by the success of the Teal Pumpkin Project, mother Laura Slatter decided to start her own in an attempt to bring awareness to her son’s disability. Levi had childhood apraxia of speech, a motor speech disorder that made it difficult for him to talk. He struggled as a child, and seeing this, Laura decided she wanted to help bring awareness to this issue as well as many others.

Diagnosed with childhood apraxia of speech , Levi practiced hard to gear up for a night of trick-or-treating alongside his brother, Luke. “It was the first year Levi verbally was able to tell me what he wanted to dress up as; he was excited and I was proud,” Laura tells us. There hasn’t been a formal red pumpkin campaign since 2018, but Sean Cassidy, Executive Director of MADD Rhode Island, urges anyone — and everyone — to play their part by setting out red pumpkins come Halloween. “Although MADD has helped lower drunk driving deaths by more than 50% since it was founded in 1980, we always welcome any help we can get to continue spreading this life-saving message.”