With Halloween less than two weeks away, I know, scary, right? Chances are you've been seeing more and more pumpkins and jack-o-lanterns popping up on neighborhood doorsteps.

Some of these carved pumpkins are truly works of art, I've seen some really elaborate-looking jack-o-lanterns on the porches of Sioux Falls homes.

I've also run across a few homes with teal-colored pumpkins on doorsteps. Contrary to what you might think, these teal-colored pumpkins are not just decorative, they actually mean something very important about the person living inside the home and the type of treats they'll be handing out on Halloween night.

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First off, let's clarify this right away, 99.9% of the homes displaying a teal-colored pumpkin are not inhabited by Miami Dolphin fans. I mean did you see that Vikings-Dolphins game last Sunday? Talk about a horror show if you're a Dolphin fan! That was like being forced to watch Lind Blair from the movie The Exorcist hack up green pea soup on super slow-mo for three hours! Not a pleasant sight.

Actually, the true meaning behind a home with a teal-colored pumpkin is a very important one, according to the folks at FARE, homes that display teal pumpkins are sending a message that either the person living inside the home suffers from food allergies, or that particular home will be passing out treats on Halloween that are "safe" for children who have food allergies.

The teal pumpkin project is designed to make it easy for parents to identify which homes are safe for children to visit who suffer from various food-related allergies.

So, when you run across a home with a teal-colored pumpkin on the porch on Halloween night, you'll instantly know that home will be giving out safe trick-or-treat options for your kiddos that evening.

What are some safe alternatives to hand out on Halloween night to those who have food allergies?

You might consider visiting a local health food store for suggestions, or you can never go wrong passing out things like glow sticks, vampire fangs, pencils, whistles, bubbles, or stickers and stencils.

If you're looking for even more ways to help make Halloween safer for kids with food allergies check this out.

Happy Halloween everyone!

Source: FARE