OK, so it's a bit OT, but twice in one thread is just too much for me:
Anyways...Episcopalian is basically the Church of England (when it split with the Pope over an Annulment of King Henry VIII). Today Very very similar to the Catholic church in terms of mass. Its basically in the middle between Catholism and Protestant. Definitely Catholic without all the guilt. (I was raised catholic)
I love religion, it intrigues me. but I have to be honest there are a couple Ive just never looked into much. Episcopalian being one of them, also Protestant and Lutheran. but maybe now I will have to.
Lutherans and Episcopalians ARE Protestants. So are Baptists, and Methodists, and Presbyterians, and COC, and COGIC, and Unitarians, and all of the other "Christian" denominations (with the possible exception of LDS and Jehovah's Witnesses, who reject the concept of the Trinity.) Essentially, the simplest definition of Protestant is "All Christians OTHER than Roman Catholic or Eastern Orthodox Christian." All Protestant denominations adhere to the theses called the Five Solas, and that is what makes them Protestant; these doctrines "protest" or disagree with certain key points of Roman Catholic doctrine as it was at the time of the Reformation.
I think that the distinction that a lot of people are trying to make when they say things like this is the difference between so-called Evangelical Christianity and those who do not consider themselves Evangelical, which would be most RC's and members of most of the older mainstream Protestant churches such as Lutheran or Episcopal. However, I'm here to tell you that I personally know both some Catholics and some Lutherans who definitely qualify as Evangelical in their worship style and beliefs. People blur lines on a lot of things in this day and age.
Back to topic: Love Halloween, and not least because it helped put me through college. I've been making costumes since I learned to sew at age 6, and Halloween was always a profitable time of year for me back when I did it for a living. AFAIC, it's fun and nothing more meaningful than that. A bunch of people running around in Batman and Star Wars villain getups (or even French Maid outfits) doesn't pose any kind of threat to my religious beliefs. FWIW, I'm RC.
OMG! 
I will start a fight in the middle of anywhere if I think someone is out of line involving my children. In a safe enviroment, where all of the responsible grown ups are present I do think you can let up off of the leash a little. OP it is perfectly wonderful that you celebrate Harvest instead of Halloween. It is a very wonderful time of year. It's about having fun. You only live once. It doesn't have to be about boogie men or headless horsemen to be be a hoot for the family. Spiders are icky anyway.
