WASHINGTON — Dressed as a giant panda, President Joe Biden and his wife, Jill, hosted trick-or-treaters on the South Lawn of the White House for the last time Wednesday.

The First Lady attended the National Zoo’s announcement earlier this year that pandas would return to Washington. They arrived in the nation’s capital in mid-October, and Jill Biden wore a panda costume as a “welcome gesture” on Wednesday, the White House said.

Jill Biden added an educational theme to the event and called it “Hello-Read” to help encourage reading. He has been teaching for 40 years. He read a short story about spooky pumpkins to a group of costumed children gathered on the lawn early Wednesday.

He and the president then went out at sunset and handed out treats for about an hour. Dressed in a suit and tie, Biden left boxes of White House Hershey’s Kisses chocolates in children’s tote bags, while the first lady handed out copies of “10 Spooky Pumpkins.”

Up to 8,000 people, including students and military children, were expected to pass through the White House gates during the day.

A large orange moon and a sign reading “Blessed Reading at the White House” adorned the south face of the executive mansion. The decorations also included stacks of books and cardboard representations of the family’s cat, Willow, who is rarely seen in public. There were giant pumpkin decorations near the door.

Biden withdrew his reelection bid in July. He is leaving his post in January.