According to the U.S. Census Bureau, more than 40 million children will venture out into the autumn night and go trick-or-treating this year. The origin of Halloween goes back to when Celtic groups in areas now known as Ireland, Scotland and Wales celebrated their New Year's Day on November 1st, known then as "All Saints' Day." The day before this celebration, October 31st, was called "All Hallows' Eve" and signaled the close of the harvest season.
October 30th is National Candy Corn Day and Candy Corn is not just for Halloween anymore. Candy-makers now produce Reindeer Corn for Christmas, Cupid Corn for Valentine's Day and on Easter - plastic eggs full of Bunny Corn. As popular as this candy is (more than 35 million pounds of candy corn will be produced this year), it barely makes the top ten traditional Halloween candy favorites.
Kids tell us that their favorite treats to receive when trick-or-treating are candy and gum. Eighty-four percent of kids said candy and gum are their favorites.
The Top Ten Traditional Halloween Candy includes:
1. Lollipops
2. Tootsie Rolls/Pops
3. Smarties
4. Bubble Gum
5. "Fun Size" Chocolates (with Reese's Peanut Butter Cups the favorite)
6. Pixy Stix
7. Sweetarts
8. Starburst
9. Caramel Candy
10. Candy Corn
In recent years, retro candy has been gaining in popularity among candy connoisseurs. CandyCrate.com specializes in hard-to-find retro candy and has come out with a list of the Top Ten candies their customers order for Halloween.
The favorites include a mix of candy classics and contemporary candy:
1. Wax Lips/Fangs
2. Candy Necklaces
3. Chocolate or Gummy Body Parts
4. Cry Babies Sour Gum
5. Pop Rocks Pumpkin Patch Orange
6. Caramel Apple Pops
7. Candy Eyeballs
8. Zotz Fizz Candy
9. Harry Potter Droobles Best Blowing Cotton Candy Bubble Gum
10. Peanut Butter Kisses
According to Candy Crate's Operation Manager, Randi Caporale, mellowcremes (candy corn and pumpkins) remain very popular but are usually purchased in bulk to fill candy dishes.
The National Confectioners Association states that the parents' favorite treats to sneak from their children's trick-or-treat sacks are snack-size chocolate bars (70 percent sneak these), candy-coated chocolate pieces (40 percent), caramels (37 percent) and gum (26 percent).
Hosting a Halloween party this year? Halloween candy is a terrific craft medium for kids of all age groups. Candy naturally appeals to children and comes in a vast array of sizes, shapes and colors that allow kids to create almost anything with it. Skulls, bones, pumpkins, ghosts and Larvets or Crickets Seasoned Snacks (real dried worms and crickets!) can be used to decorate cakes, to create party favors or for use in various craft activities. These items and more can be found online at http://www.candycrate.com.
