Halloween is a time when people can dress up in costumes, watch scary movies, and—most importantly—eat all different kinds of candy. As the spooky season descends upon us, candy becomes synonymous with Halloween. What types of candy are most popular among Tenafly High School students, and what are their top five favorite candies?
According to candystore.com, the estimated amount spent on candy so far this year is around $3 billion. In total, adding costumes and decorations, sales are predicted to be over $12.2 billion during this year’s Halloween. In the United States, the most popular candy is Reese’s Cups and M&M’s takes second place. In the state of New Jersey, Tootsie Pops takes the title of Top Candy. These statistics are important when people buy candy to put in front of their doors or hand them out. However, this doesn’t mean that these statistics apply to the students at Tenafly High School. So, what are their favorite candies?
A poll was conducted on The Echo to survey Tenafly High School student’s favorite candy out of the following choices: Snickers, Kit Kat, Twix, Hershey Chocolate Bar, Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup, M&Ms, Skittles, Sour Patch Kids, Starbursts, and Milky Way. The top five are listed below:
1. Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup (28%)
The Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup is number one overall in the United States so it is no surprise that it came in first place. This snack is a chocolate-covered peanut butter treat that melts on your tongue. The most popular form it is bought in is standard size which has two cups in the plastic wrapping. The iconic orange, yellow, and brown colors of the package can be instantly recognizable to anyone. Fun fact: this candy was created in Harry Burnett’s—the creator of Reese Peanut Butter Cup—basement!
2. Twix (21%)
The runner-up, a caramel shortbread chocolate bar made by Mars, is also iconic. It is mostly favored for its chewy texture while also having the satisfying crunch that other candies can’t provide. Twix usually comes in two long bars, however, the mini-bars are sold and are recommended to be bought during Halloween. Fun fact: it was originally named Raider and only sold in the United Kingdom.
3. Sour Patch Kids (13%)
In third place is Sour Patch Kids. It comes in many different colors—red, green, blue, and yellow—and gives a friendly vibe compared to other candies. The most popular package is fun size which gives tiny bags that can be eaten in one sitting. Fun fact: Sour Patch Kids originally started as little candy martians in order to capitalize on the popularity of UFOs during the time they were created.
4. Hershey Chocolate Bar (10%)
The Hershey’s Chocolate Bar is the most classic candy bar. The original, a bar of sweet milk chocolate, is still popular. The aroma of cocoa fills the air and gives the blissful balance of sweetness and richness of the velvety milk chocolate. Buying the mini-size is the best choice, but buying the full-sized Hershey Bar is also recommended. Fun fact: a variant of the Hershey Bar—Ration D chocolate bar—was designed for the military to withstand hot temperatures while giving the soldiers a delicious treat!
5. M&Ms (9%)
Even though M&Ms are ranked second at a national level, Tenafly students rank it to be fifth place on this list. The fun-sized bag for M&Ms contains about 20 M&Ms and is the most commonly given out during Halloween. These multi-colored button-shaped chocolates are a staple of America’s favorite candy. Fun fact: M&Ms were the first candy to be approved and sent into space by NASA, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.
As Halloween approaches, the allure of candy is stronger than ever, and THS students have spoken about their favorite treats. This is certainly a time when the love of candy knows no bounds.
