en-us Copyright 2008 - All Rights Reserved. Sun, 22 Nov 2009 17:10:32 GMT 15 By Shelby Ross

What is the first thing that comes to your mind when you hear the words, “Halloween candy?” Do images of chocolaty-goodness fill your head? Or do you find your mind overflowing with visions of sugary confections? According to national sales, the most popular Halloween candy of all time is Candy Corn. According to sugarsavvy.net, 35 million pounds of candy corn are produced annually; however it is not the most popular Halloween candy at Washburn Rural High School. It is instead Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups that claim the majority of the students’ taste buds. Out of the 100 students polled, 76 percent admitted that this chocolate and peanut butter conglomeration is their favorite. Candy corn came in second place, satisfying 61 percent of the students’ Halloween candy cravings. In third place is Snickers, making up 45 percent of the students’ favorite Halloween candy. “My favorite Halloween candy is definitely either Snickers or Twix,” sophomore David Menager said. According to sugarsavvy.net, Snickers is in fact the best selling candy bar of all time. Accounting for nearly $2 billion of candy sales, it is no wonder why this chocolaty treat has become an American classic. “I like it because it has chocolate and chocolate tastes good,” Menager said. In spite of chocolate’s domination in Halloween candy, Candy Corn is still number one. Invented in the 1880’s, this timeless confection has become a Halloween staple, with nearly nine billion individual pieces produced last year. Although candy corn is first in sales, all the candy following it appeared to be chocolate. Snickers was second, Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups came in third and Kit Kat was fourth in national sales. On the contrary, freshman Meredith Owen prefers M&M’s to all other candy. “I just really like the crunchy outside,” Owen said. Along with the numerous amount of candy consumed on Halloween, also comes the health risks. According to fitsugar.com, the candies to avoid on Halloween include Skittles with the most sugar, Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups having the most fat and Take 5 with the most calories. However most view Halloween as a celebration and therefore simply forget the nutrition behind their favorite treats. “On Halloween I eat as much candy as I can get,” Menager said. It is with this attitude that lead national sales in 2007, to reach an enormous $2.1 billion, making it the second most commercially successful holiday. While most of us receive the traditional chocolate staples and other well-known treats on Halloween, more non-traditional objects have been seen. “I once got a smoothie mix instead of candy,” Owen said. Menager also received something unique, a pear. Accordingly, over 800 new varieties of candy will be introduced this Halloween. But on the other hand, 93 percent of Halloween bags will be filled with the more commonly known candy, such as Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups and Charm’s Blow Pops. So whether you are enjoying the multitude of new candies or cherishing the classics, be sure to enjoy your favorite Halloween candy. “I can’t wait for Halloween this year, especially all the candy that comes along with it,” Owen said. ]]> Wed, 29 Oct 2008 14:31:00 GMT