Jack-o-lantern??

This looks like a jack-o-lantern right? (Hint: the only correct answer to this question is "Yes".) Actually, it's a GF pumpkin cookie posing as an acceptable alternative to birthday cake.

Bub's going to be 5 years old in a few days. He, quite convieniently, bumped up his due date by 3 weeks and decided to be born the day before Halloween. This is just so stinking handy in planning birthday festivities. There is always a hayride or a pumpkin patch or a corn maze available for dual celebration. So tomorrow, we're headed to the Pumkin Patch to meet a couple friends for a "birthday party". We'll feed a goat at the petting zoo, buy a pumpkin or 2, and then decorate a pumpkin cookie/faux birthday cake/jack-o-lantern. Then we'll throw in a round of obligatory Happy Birthday and call it a done deal.

We aren't one of the "good" Christians who find Halloween objectionable. We are pro mini-Snickers Bars, and and goofy costumes. We are against spending lots of cash on cool costumes. But my kids are homeschooled; they don't know their costumes are lame. And, for the record, we are anti -creeepy neighbors who scare the bajeebers out of our small children by jumping out from behind large trees in Gorilla costumes. That little incident will cost us years of therapy. But other than that we are pro Halloween.

Because I'm a nerd I did a little research on the history of Halloween. Orginally, it started as a Celtic Pagan celebration. Then, with the Roman invasion of the British Isles and spreading of Christianity, it took on new meaning. The Church started to celebrate All Saint's Day, and the evening before All Saint's Day was dubed the Old English equivilant of "Holy Evening", eventually it became known as Halloween. The history of Christianity is full of instances where new meaning was given to old traditions. For us, Halloween falls into this catagory. We tell the kids that many years ago the people of England lived in fear becuase they didn't know Jesus. But we know the end of the story. Good defeats evil , and we don't need to live in fear. Jesus is the winner. Halloween is a chance for us to love our neighbors and have fun. What once was a scary day of ritual is now FUN!

Hence, the pumpkin cookie/birthday cake/jack-o-lantern....