Trick-or-treaters will be in full force this Halloween. Many will be walking up and down neighborhoods, knocking on doors, and receiving tons of candy in their baskets. While Halloween is not the only holiday where candy is celebrated, it is the most popular.
Halloween is when you can eat copious amounts of candy and no one can pass judgment. Halloween candy comes in all shapes and sizes, from old-school favorites like 3 Musketeers to new takes on classics like Nerd ropes and Reece’s Peanut Butter Cups. Regardless if you’re hoarding all the sugar for yourself, or sharing it with a loved one, here are the best Halloween candies to buy this year!
American’s Top 10 Halloween Candies
Since 2007, candystore.com has been keeping a record of the highest candy sales every year on Halloween. Of course, each state in America has its preferences regarding the type of sugar rush that was more popular that year. However, based on data from the last decade, here are the top 10 Halloween candies with the highest sales records.
1. Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups
The perfect alchemy of peanut butter and chocolate! Reece’s has been a constant favorite since its establishment in the 20s. Not only is it a fabulous candy, but it’s the perfect snack when your sweet tooth is needing a fix.
2. Skittles
Skittles is another fan favorite. Probably because everyone loves to taste the rainbow. More importantly, it’s a great alternative for those who aren’t the biggest chocolate fans!
3. M&Ms
Whether on their own, or embedded in a cookie, you can’t deny that M&M’s are fabulous. There’s the regular kind, peanut kind, pretzel kind, and just about any other kind of M&M!
4. Starburst
Coming in at number 4 is Starburst, another perfect flavor mix that resembles fruity taffy. The competition between the pink and the red starburst being the best is never-ending.
5. Hot Tamales
As the top-selling cinnamon-flavored candy of all time, it’s no shock Hot Tamales are on this list. Their uniqueness makes them the best contender when competing with all things chocolate and fruity!
6. Sour Patch Kids
This two-fold candy is extremely popular and comes in many different flavors. It’s a taste of gummy candy rolled in all types of sugar stuff. When consumed, they’re sour, sweet, gone!
7. Hershey Kisses
This American classic just melts in your mouth. Of course, Hershey’s comes in many forms, but the Hershey Kisses are all-too-easy to throw into a trick-or-treaters basket.
8. Snickers
This caramel, nut, and chocolate combination is the heartiest of all chocolate bars. They’re nutty, chewy, and absolutely delicious.
9. Tootsie Pops
Did Mr. Owl ever find out how many licks it takes to get to the center of a Tootsie Pop? Nevertheless, it’s so worth the effort to just see for yourself anyway!
10. Candy Corn
Candy corn has been a fall and Halloween staple since the 1950s, as its fall colors and easy distribution make for a cute snack. It’s tradition to include candy corn in your Halloween treats!
How Did Trick-or-Treating Become a Halloween Tradition?
In the ninth century of early Christianity and Medieval times, the church established All Souls' Day on November 2nd, and children would go door to door asking for soul cakes. This then turned into All Saints Day, which trickled down into American history as the day after Halloween. Halloween is rich in history and tradition and soon became a standard practice among American families after World War 2. With sugar rationing for the war no longer needed, candy companies capitalized on the tradition and started marketing Halloween as October 31st, before All Saints Day. Thus, trick-r-treating for candy was born!
Halloween is coming up quickly this year! So grab your favorite candy and get ready to hand out treats to those looking to keep up the spooky tradition.