Halloween 2023: The special meaning behind teal, purple and blue pumpkins

Children and parents across the country are preparing for perhaps the most eagerly-anticipated Halloween ritual of them all: trick-or-treating.

People traveling from house-to-house in search of sugary delicacies may notice many things, including ornate Halloween decorations, creative costumes and different-colored pumpkins on display.

While the color of a pumpkin may not mean much to some people, others use non-traditional pumpkin colors to raise awareness.

Here's what you need to know about what the different pumpkin colors represent before you head out the door for your Halloween festivities.

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What do teal pumpkins mean?

Teal pumpkin buckets are used to signal that a child has a food allergy. Additionally, placing a teal pumpkin on your doorstep signals that, in addition to candy, you offer non-food trinkets and treats that are safe for all trick-or-treaters, according to Foodallergy.org.

The organization started the Teal Pumpkin Project, which it describes as a "simple way to make trick-or-treating safer and more inclusive for the 1-in-13 children living with food allergies, and many others impacted by intolerances and other conditions."

If you'd like to quickly add your home to the Teal Pumpkin Project Map for Halloween this year, click here.

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What do purple pumpkins mean?

Purple pumpkins are used to raise awareness for epilepsy.

The Purple Pumpkin Project was started by Ron Lamontagne in 2012. Lamontagne's youngest son was diagnosed with epilepsy in 2009 and he wanted to help raise awareness for the condition.

According to the American Association of Neurological Surgeons, epilepsy is a disorder of the brain characterized by repeated seizures. According to the Epilepsy Foundation, the disorder affects three million people in the U.S. and 50 million people worldwide.

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What do blue pumpkins mean?

While blue pumpkins and blue pumpkin buckets are not tied to a specific fundraiser or organization, they are used to signal that a child may have autism or a sensory processing disorder.

"Trick-or-treating is a really fun part of Halloween for many kids and we don't want anyone to be left out of that," said Zoe Goss, director of advocacy at the Autistic Self Advocacy Network. "The important thing is to think through, 'if someone has a disability of some kind, am I putting barriers between them and this experience?'"

While we often consider the shout of "trick-or-treat" to be a pinnacle part of, well, trick-or-treating, sometimes speaking up is not a simple task. It can be fun to see little witches, pumpkins and cowboys yelling out the phrase through a big smile, but the verbal exchange is not necessary and should not be forced to get those treats.

"Not everyone is able to say 'Trick or Treat' to you. If someone comes up to you and doesn't say it, it's okay to just give them the candy," said Goss. "You don't have to make them say that phrase because some people don't speak or some people have a lot of difficulties in social situations, it may just not happen."

Don't assume that someone is being rude or forgetting their manners if they don't speak with you out loud. Instead, meet them where they are and offer them same treats you offer all other visitors.

Contributing: Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA TODAY