Why Teal Pumpkins Are Halloween's Most Important Safety Feature

Pumpkins and jack-o-lanterns are a huge part of celebrating Halloween, but the seasonal squash also serves an incredibly important purpose on the candy-centric holiday — spreading food allergy awareness.

Created in 2014 by Food Allergy Research and Education (FARE) — a nonprofit organization whose goal is to keep Americans as informed as possible about their food allergies and the best methods of prevention and treatment — the Teal Pumpkin Project is an effort to make sure that all children get to enjoy Halloween, no matter their allergies.

Teal has been the color of food allergy awareness for more than 20 years, a FARE representative told The Daily Meal.

To participate, simply take the online pledge to include all trick-or-treaters in the festivities, and join at least 100,000 American households that have also promised to provide non-food treats — like toys, stickers, or crafts — to children with food allergies.

Then, download one of FARE's free signs to let parents and children know that you have non-food treats available. FARE also offers an official Teal Pumpkin Project trick-or-treat bag that includes a selection of Halloween stickers, bouncy balls, friendship bracelets, and Halloween pencils, for your neighborhood. By the way, you don't have to paint a pumpkin teal to participate, but you are more than welcome to do so.