When it comes to Halloween, we are one of the most unenthusiastic families I know. Any costumes that may be worn for a harvest festival or party usually come in the form of something found already in the dress-up bin, or a fluffy hand-me-down of some cuddly creature. You won't find any spider webs, black cats, or any witches hanging around our house. My kids joke that trick-or-treaters who ring our doorbell will likely receive leftover Easter candies, as we're not real good about doing the Easter bunny thing either.
If there is one thing we do enjoy in late October, it is the chill in the air that accompanies a family outing to the pumpkin patch. There's not much arguing with hay rides, kettle corn, and "picking" just the right pumpkin straight from the field. Most years, our pumpkins serve as ornamental decorations for the undeniable onset of Fall here in the Southwest. This year, I braved an afternoon of carving with the boys. Okay, who am I kidding....I did the carving, they watched.
As no "scary" faces were allowed, the kids proceeded to request animal faces from wildlife photos. REAL ANIMAL FACES. It's so funny to explain to kids what "stay simple" means. A raccoon, a panda, and a lion...that's what they requested.
What? It doesn't look like a raccoon?
Surely you see the pumpkin turned panda:
Or, Mr. Lion, who looks like a kitty with a goatee and a mohawk.
It's Animal Planet at my doorstep.
Update: You may find this article by Doug Wilson helpful in thinking through an intelligent Christian response to Halloween.