The color of pumpkins is not just a color preference
Katie Vastola and Moira Sirois
This Halloween, pumpkins are not just for decoration. There are multiple campaigns to make Halloween more inclusive for all children. Different colored pumpkins are now representative of restrictions children may have.
The blue pumpkin represents a child with autism. There may be pumpkins in the front yard or just the bucket they carry. It is a great way for houses to know that children might need more assistance.
NBC did a story on this giving more details of how it started. The campaign started with a “mother of a child with autism to allow her son and other teens with medical challenges to feel included.”
Another news station that covered this story was USA Today. The idea of the blue buckets is becoming more widely known due to social media.
Omairis Taylor shared a post on Facebook saying she was participating in the blue buckets because she has a three-year-old son who is nonverbal. “Last year, people waited for him to say trick or treat before giving him candy.” The post was shared more than 148,000 times in only a few days to educate people to be aware of the different colors and their meanings.
The post got many comments from parents all around agreeing with the idea and supporting all the children that would benefit from this new campaign. While people are walking around their neighborhoods they will become more aware of children with different colors pumpkins as well as adjusting to the children’s needs.
Another significant color is teal. The teal buckets are representative of food allergies. This is known as the “Teal Pumpkin Project”. The project was started by the Food Allergy Research & Education in 2014.
Houses that are participating in the Teal Pumpkin Project have a teal pumpkin on display to let others know that they have non-food items for kids with allergies. Kids with allergies can carry a teal pumpkin bucket to let houses know they have food limitations.
A story on USA Today about the Teal Pumpkin Project interviewed two moms of kids with allergies. One mom said, “It allows kids to dress up and go out without fear and without feeling left out.”
This is a great way for children to participate in trick or treating without worrying about food restrictions they may have. The teal pumpkins will be a symbol for parents to look out for.
Overall, the Teal Pumpkin Project, as well as the blue pumpkins, are a great way to make sure every kid, regardless of specific needs, feels included and can enjoy Halloween while ensuring their safety. They are also a great indicator for parents to be aware of and to look out for everyone.
