When I was a kid, Halloween was all about the candy. Sure, it was fun to pick out a costume and parade around the neighborhood incognito, but my favorite part of trick-or-treating was always the giant stash of Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups awaiting me at evening’s end.
These days, those Peanut Butter Cups are harder to come by – and with good reason. It’s no secret that food allergies are on the rise; according to a 2011 study from the Centers for Disease Control, food allergies among children increased by approximately 50% between 1997 and 2011. Peanuts – along with eggs, dairy, soy, wheat, fish and other tree nuts – account for 90% of all serious reactions that occur, and a reaction sends someone to the emergency room every three minutes.
For parents of children with life-threatening food allergies, Halloween can be a seriously spooky holiday.
The Teal Pumpkin Project
This year, FARE – a nonprofit organization dedicated to Food Allergy and Education Research – has created a new Halloween tradition known as the Teal Pumpkin Project. People in neighborhoods across the country are being encouraged to provide non-food treats, and to let trick-or-treaters know they have them by painting a pumpkin teal (the color of food allergy awareness) and placing it on the front porch.
According to FARE, the goal of the Teal Pumpkin Project is to raise awareness about food allergies, and to make Halloween safer and more inclusive for the kids who suffer from them.
“Many kids with food allergies go out to trick-or-treat just like their friends,” says the FARE website, “but they have come to understand that most of their fun will come from dressing up in a costume. They know they’ll give much of their candy away because it’s not safe for them. We hope the Teal Pumpkin Project becomes a tradition for years to come so that kids will know that when they knock on someone’s door that has a teal pumpkin, they’ll have a treat they can fully enjoy.”
How to Participate
Don’t worry – the goal of the Teal Pumpkin Project isn’t to take the candy out of Halloween entirely, but rather to encourage more options for kids and less stress for parents.
You can still pass out your favorite sweet treats, but consider keeping them in a separate bowl and offering the trick-or-treaters who come to your door the option of choosing a non-food item as well. A trip to any party supply or dollar store will supply lots of non-food novelty items that kids enjoy. Some of your options include:
If you decide to participate, remember to place that teal pumpkin on your porch so trick-or-treaters with food allergies know they can visit you safely, and to download FARE’s free printable sign to hang on your door. And if you use social media, you can help spread the word about this growing campaign by using the hashtag #TealPumpkinProject when you post.
According to FARE: “The Teal Pumpkin Project is designed to promote safety, inclusion and respect of individuals managing food allergies – and to keep Halloween a fun, positive experience for all.”
Alyssa Chirco is a freelance writer, mother and margarita lover, not necessarily in that order. In addition to writing for STL Parent, she is Contributing Editor at Parenting Squad, and covers parenting, health and lifestyle topics for publications across the country. She recently moved from the suburbs of St. Louis to a small town in rural Jefferson County, where she is learning to survive with no Target or Starbucks in sight. Follow her on Twitter @AlyssaChirco
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