There are many traditions that we begin on October 1st, and decorating our computers is one of the easier ones. A quick online search and you can convert your desktop and chat program into a spooky experience that evokes Halloween spirit all month long. After Sean created us some amazing banners, I was feeling inspired and decided to make a few buddy icons for 365 Halloween readers. The larger sized ones are compatible with Yahoo Instant Messenger and MSN Instant Messenger, while the smaller ones are geared towards AIM and Trillian users. Of course, you’re free to use them as a message board avatar, on your MySpace, on your website, etc. Just be sure to right-click and “Save As” rather than trying to hotlink, and do not redistribute.

But what if evil clowns, wild-eyed pumpkins, and candycandycandy aren’t your thing? I spent a good chunk of time today scouring websites for the best free Halloween icons (both buddy icons and desktop icons) and came up with a few great sites. A lot of what’s available online is fairly hideous, so you can save a lot of time by just heading straight here:

Pixelgirl Presents (desktop icons)- The absolute best. These are beautiful, high quality designs, and there are lots of icon sets. You have to browse through all holiday themed sets, but the section isn’t too huge so it’s worth it. You get even more choices if you’re on a Mac.

Icon Factory (desktop icons)- A close second, with several equally well designed icon sets. Very creative, and again, more selection if you’re on a Mac.

Icon Archive (desktop icons)- Several cute sets, with Hide’s Halloween being the best.

Acme Icon (buddy icons)- There are 7 funny icons that you can customize, and there is a nifty “IM your icon to a buddy” feature.

Iconator (buddy icons)- You’ll have to wade through a lot of the aforementioned hideous icons here, but this is the largest selection and there are some good styles.

Do you have an icon site to recommend? What are your favorite Halloween-related desktop icon sets?