Consume captivating clues to Halloween candy culture

FORT POLK, LA, UNITED STATES

10.16.2020

Story by Angie Thorne 

Fort Johnson Public Affairs Office

FORT POLK, La. — Sweet — candy and Halloween embody that delectable word, which is synonymous with good times and sugar rushes felt by children gathering goodies all over America since the 1930s-40s. Before this, candy had nothing to do with the Halloween. It was more about making mischief and pulling harmless pranks rather than garnering treats.
The actual reason people began handing out gifts of food and treasure is historically hazy. It could have come from England during the Middle Ages when beggars would knock on doors during Allhallowtide for soul cake. Allhallowtide was the Christian season encompassing All Saints’ Eve (Halloween), All Saints’ Day (a day commemorating the saints of the church) and All Souls’ Day (a day for commemorating the dead).
At the time, it was believed souls of the deceased weren’t able to enter heaven until enough people prayed for them. Thus, children and the poor went from home to home “Souling” — offering their prayers for the household’s deceased in exchange for soul cakes, money and ale.
Soul cakes were typically packed with currants and a mix of seasonal spices, like nutmeg, cinnamon and ginger.
Nobody has pinpointed an exact reason why the more secular aspect of begging at doors for treats didn’t become popular again until the early part of the 20th century.
Possibly, kids wanted to enjoy some of the fare from adult Halloween parties where yummy staples included apples, pumpkins and other tasty sweets; or the treats could have been a bribe to keep kids from performing their tricks on Halloween night. What is known is that this tradition began with children gathering homemade delights such as cakes, cookies, fruits, nuts and loot like coins and toys on Oct. 31.
As the concept of gifting children on Halloween grew in popularity, candy companies jumped on the bandwagon. The new Halloween ritual took off in the 1950s. After all, candy was affordable and easy to hand out.
Halloween, as it’s practiced today, didn’t come about until the 70s. That’s when individually wrapped candies from a factory became a more acceptable treat. This development created a safer way to hand out tiny, tasty tidbits to those brave enough to knock on neighborhood doors on All Hallows’ Eve.
Today, trick or treating is an integral part of Halloween. According to the National Retail Federation’s annual survey, U.S. consumers are expected to spend $2.6 billion on Halloween candy, averaging $25 per person this year.
The types of candy bought are varied, but the top 25 most popular Halloween candies enjoyed by trick-or-treaters, according to www.thedailymeal.com, are as follows:
25. Milk Duds
24. Life Savers
23. Almond Joy
22. 3 Musketeers
21. Lemonheads
20. Blow Pop
19. Double Bubble
18. Kit Kat
17. Twix
16. Swedish Fish
15. Milky Way
14. Hershey’s Mini Bars
13. Taffy
12. Butterfinger
11. Jolly Ranchers
10. Hershey Kisses
9. Sour Patch Kids
8. Tootsie Pops
7. Hot Tamales
6. Candy Corn
5. Starburst
4. Snickers
3. M&Ms
2. Reese’s Cups
1. Skittles
That’s a lot of sugar to spread around as kids, dressed in costumes from Frozen and Star Wars characters to witches and werewolves, beg for confectioneries of every type imaginable. Sounds like it’s going to be mouthwatering fun.
Here are a few events where your goblins and ghouls can gather candy galore:
• Army Community Service Halloween-Formation — Explore what ACS, 7960 Mississippi Ave., bldg 924, has to offer Oct. 23 from 6-8 p.m. Kids can enjoy fun and treat bags.
• The Hunted Circle — This drive through Family Morale, Welfare and Recreation trick or treat event takes place Oct. 30 from 5-8 p.m. on Washington Avenue (off Mississippi Avenue between Bayou Theater and the fire station).
• Witch Way to Main Street — The annual Leesville trick or treating event takes place Oct. 31 from 5-7 p.m. on Front Street.
• Trick-or-Treat on Washington — Head to DeRidder for trick-or-treating fun Oct. 30 beginning at 5:30 p.m.
Editor’s note: The information for this story was found at www.history.com, www.theatlantic.com and www.wjla.com.

• Date Taken: 10.16.2020
• Date Posted: 10.19.2020 11:09
• Story ID: 381211
• Location: FORT POLK, LA, US