Recently, a article was published and shared on Facebook titled, " Here's what a teal pumpkin on the doorstep means for Halloween," written by Archit Tripathi. This article begins by stating the obvious for most children, that Halloween is one of the most favorite holidays mainly because of the mouthwatering candy. They're right about that. Their main point, however, is to focus on the children who unfortunately, have severe allergies. Halloween is great for children, that is, of course, unless they cannot actually consume any of the candy they just spent all night going door to door, saying, "trick or treat," for. I would know.
I absolutely loathed Halloween as a child, and honestly, still do. First off, I was never a fan of bloody costumes and haunted houses. As well, my mom always encouraged my sister and I to have respectful Halloween costumes that did not include witches or bloody ghosts. I also have never been a fan of the crisp air that is accustomed with October 31st. What I despised most, however, was the fact that I could not eat or enjoy a single candy bar that I received that night, unless it was of course, some time of brand granola bar.
It was when I was young and was tested for allergies that my parents and I both learned that I was allergic to chocolate, peanut butter, red dye, and many, many other food products and nature itself. These are three of the most common ingredients in candy. As a child, I was embarrassed that my parents had to politely ask if the home owner had anything that did not contain these ingredients. Most often, they would have to raid their own kitchen for a granola bar or a bag of chips and then they would give me this look. They pitied me.
By the end of the night, I would ask my parents if we could be done because one, I was cold. Secondly, I was always uncomfortable being around people who hid their faces with masks. Lastly, I just wanted to eat my candy. My parents would take me in a restaurant where we would order apple cider and sit and watch the other children in their costumes walk by. My parents would allow me to have only a couple pieces of candy because any more than that and I would break out in severe hives.
At the end of the night, my sister and I would sit across from each other and dump out our candy. She would give me any candy she had that may not have any ingredients I am allergic to, including skittles or starburst, even though there is red dye in those ingredients as well. I would then push three fourths of my candy across the floor towards her and be left with only several pieces I could actually ingest. Of course, back then I believed I was being sneaky when I kept some of the chocolate in my bag without letting my sister see, and would then later go upstairs and devour the candy, only to hide the wrappers under my bed where my parents would find them a week later.
If it isn't obvious, Halloween is my least favorite Holiday.
Then I saw this article on Facebook about a teal pumpkin and what it is supposed to mean this year. This article continued to state, "According to Food Allergy Research & Education (FARE), approximately 15 million Americans suffer from food allergies, with one in 13 children under 18 affected. Between 1997 and 2011, there was a 50% increase in food allergies." By buying and placing a teal pumpkin outside of your home this Halloween, you are letting parents and children know that you acknowledge their allergies.
What began originally by the Food Allergy Community of East Tennessee (FACET) for their local community is now a national known concept. The teal pumpkin represents that the household owner acknowledges children with allergies and therefore, has other goodies such as glow sticks, bracelets, and stickers.
Whether this is just another Facebook scam or a real project in the makings, I wholeheartedly agree with this concept. I only wish it was a consideration when I was a child and I had to awkwardly say, "trick or treat" only to then explain I was allergic to basically all candy and was curious if they had anything specific to my needs. I would highly consider looking into the teal pumpkin project and would also highly recommend participating in it for the children who unfortunately have food allergies.
Give children with allergies a reason to love Halloween again.
