Why Do New Yorkers Have Purple Light Bulbs on Their Front Porch?

You may have noticed some of your neighbors with purple light bulbs on their porches. Well, it turns out that there's a good reason why they're using them.

With Halloween just around the corner, many New Yorkers are decorating with spiderwebs, skeletons and colored lights. The purple lights you're seeing around town, however, actually have nothing to do with the upcoming holiday.

Purple Porch Lights Seen on Many New York Homes

Driving around the Hudson Valley, I've seen several homes sporting purple light bulbs. In the past, different color lights have been used to bring awareness to important issues. While I'm aware of what a green or pink light bulbs mean, this is the first I've seen so many purple bulbs lighting up the night sky.

Project Green Light

If you see a green light bulb, that means the person in that home is promoting Project Green Light. Organized by the New York State Association of Counties, the program is aimed at raising awareness about the challenges faced by Hudson Valley veterans and reminding them that resources are available to assist them and their families.

Green lights are usually displayed during the month of November, which is also when Veteran's Day is observed.

Pink Lights Also Have Meaning

A pink light bulb on someone's porch means that they are drawing awareness to cancer. October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, so you may see many homes with pink lights because of this. These lights are different than the purple lights which have an entirely different meaning.

There are other times outside of October when you will see pink lights. There have been several instances when communities have rallied behind someone fighting cancer and used pink lights as a sign of solidarity.

Why Are People Using Purple Light Bulbs?

If you're seeing lots of purple light bulbs this month, that's because it is the color of domestic violence awareness. October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month, and many community members are bringing attention to the issue by shining purple lights.

Domestic violence affects more than just the victim of the act. Statistics show that 1 in 15 children are exposed to domestic violence each year and 90 percent of these children witness the violence first hand. The Center for the Prevention of Child Abuse recently sat down for an interview on In Touch about the issue and what they are doing to help protect children in domestic violence situations.