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Purple Pumpkins on Halloween? This Is What It Means

If you’ve seen purple pumpkins in someone’s window or porch and are wondering what they mean, you’re in the right place. Here, we talk about the purple pumpkins meaning and what’s their origin.

The color of supernatural, purple is often associated with witchcraft and magic. That’s why purple is a popular (spellcasting) candle color.

With such associations, it isn’t a surprise purple is a common Halloween color, right.

However, purple pumpkins gained a meaning far from scary, especially in recent years, making them one of the most important pumpkin colors to have on your doorstep.

In fact, they bring powerful messages and help raise awareness of important matters. Let’s learn more about them!

Purple pumpkin with vampire face for Halloween

What Does the Purple Pumpkin Mean

Like teal pumpkins, which also raise awareness but in this case for food allergy, and pink pumpkins, which raise awareness for breast cancer research, purple pumpkins are used across the United States for an important purpose.

As such, the Purple Pumpkin Project is meant not only to raise awareness and funds for epilepsy research but also to acknowledge people who have been diagnosed with it.

Only in the United States alone, over 3.4 million people live with epilepsy. That’s quite a lot!

How Did the Purple Pumpkin Project Start

Back in 2012, the project started in Connecticut when Ron Lamontagne was brainstorming ideas on how to spread awareness about epilepsy.

Autumn was just around the corner, so after visiting a local pumpkin patch, he had the idea to paint a pumpkin purple.

This way, when people would ask him why he had a purple pumpkin, he could tell them about epilepsy.

Then, the Epilepsy Foundation created this beautiful project that combines Halloween traditions with eerie colors and a powerful message.

So what started as a one-pumpkin thing soon gained popularity, and nowadays, you can see many purple pumpkins in front porches or windows around America.

If you want to donate, there is a nationwide fundraiser online. If you’re part of a family impacted by epilepsy, you can sign up to partake in the project and have a chance to tell your story on a fundraising page.

Little girl painting an artificial pumpkin purple

What Do Purple Halloween Pumpkins Mean?

Glad you asked!

While epilepsy is a real problem that needs society’s attention, purple pumpkins are also used to message the people from that family are following recommended safety guidelines from health officials.

In other words, if you see a purple pumpkin in someone’s window or porch, it means that they are taking extra precautions and will be wearing masks and keep social distancing while handing out individually wrapped candies to trick or treaters.

So if you want to experience Halloween traditions with as little risk as possible, you can knock by someone’s door as the color indicates a pledge on behalf of the homeowner, which is a beacon of hope for families worried about health guidelines.

However, let’s not forget the first use of purple pumpkins — raise more awareness for those impacted by epilepsy.

In fact, some people are frustrated the purple pumpkins are now being used for another goal than epilepsy awareness. 

But Jon Scheinman, Youth Programs Director at The Epilepsy Foundation, is happy about it, “The more people talk about purple pumpkins, I think the more people who have epilepsy will call out the fact that that is an initiative of the Epilepsy Foundation and it is something that the Epilepsy community really relates to.”

One more reason to put a purple pumpkin in front of your house this year!

Purple pumpkin on purple background
Purple pumpkin!

How Can You Help

You can do two things to help the initiative and make sure children can celebrate Halloween to its fullest.

Unlike with the blue pumpkin, you should have the purple pumpkin at your house. (Pretty much like the teal-colored pumpkin.)

So buy or paint a pumpkin purple, place it in the window or front porch. If you can, donate to epilepsy research. If you can’t, that’s ok. 

In that case, you can help spread awareness on epilepsy and tell your family, friends, and neighbors about it when they ask why your pumpkin is purple this year.

On top of that, be sure to wear a mask when answering the door or greeting trick-or-treaters, safeguard your candy bowls, and pass out individually wrapped candy. 

This way, we can all enjoy and celebrate a safe Halloween!

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