Put Away Those Milky Ways!

XIAOYE WANG

STAFF WRITER

Candy is a popular treat that has been seen in many shapes, sizes and flavors. It is the reason why children carefully plan out which houses to visit in advance and make a game of finding the jackpot from all houses. The type of candies handed out have changed several times from the earliest celebration of Halloween to now.

Candy companies caught onto a trend that children like a varieties of sweets. This is why candies such chewing gum and sweet droplets were advertised. Most candies balanced their sweetness with bitterness. Licorice was a prime example and popular favorite.

In only a decade’s worth of time, the variety of candy options skyrocketed alongside the sugar concentration of the candies. Candy companies quickly adapted to the holiday occasion and amped their sugar content to satisfy the sweet tooth of children. Kids filled their halloween baskets with treats such as candy corn, jelly beans and banana-flavored candies. Sugar packets for fizzy drinks like Pixy Stix boomed, leading to an increase in future sugary candies.

By 1970, candy became much more experimental in texture and flavor. Treats such as the crackling pop rocks and sour Laffy Taffy bars were common throughout the neighborhood. The 80s’s most popular candy were gummy bears, Nerds, Skittles and fruit candies. Chocolate treats like Twix gained its prominence during this era. From 1990 to the 2000s, chocolate reigned as the supreme king of all Halloween candies. According to the National Confectioners Association survey of kid’s preferences, chocolate has remained the favorite candies of Halloween for years past. However, they are not the cheapest treats so do not expect the basket to be completely filled with Snickers, Milky Ways and Twix bars this Halloween!