And on this historical date, October 31, 2023, we have a good one.
It’s Halloween. Sure. This year and every year.
Boo to you and you.
We all have Halloween memories, I’m sure.
It is, by far, the most colorful and interesting of the Holidays, I think.
Easter is probably a close second, what with all the eggs, and the big rabbit who lays them.
But where else but Halloween could you meet a vampire and a Jedi warrior on the same doorstep, followed by a fairy princess and Spiderman? Only on Halloween.
I can’t remember what I dressed up as every year. Just a couple of things come to mind. A witch. A bum. A Cincinnati Red.
However, more vividly, I can recall coming home at the end of the night and spilling my pillowcase full of candy out onto the living room floor. Then, the trading wars would begin.
“I’ll give you two Dots for that Snickers bar,” my sister would say.
“No deal,” I said, clutching that nutty goodness to my chest, all the while keeping a watchful eye on my other goods.
Yes, the candy.
Here in the United States, the top five candy bars are as follows.
The order sometimes changes.
First from Bard, then from ChatGPT:
—Bard—
Snickers
Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups
M&M’s
Kit Kat
Twix
3 Musketeers
Milky Way
Hershey’s Cookies’ n’ Creme
Almond Joy
Dove Chocolate
—ChatGPT—
Snickers
Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups
M&M’s (including various flavors and formats)
Kit Kat
Twix
Milky Way
Hershey’s Milk Chocolate Bar
Butterfinger
3 Musketeers
Baby Ruth
But in a recent report on CBS News, Reese Cups are number one. Followed by Peanut M&Ms.
No matter what the type, people love candy. Americans can typically agree on that little bit of sweetness. The average American consumes a whopping 22 pounds of candy per year. More than half of that is chocolate. So yes. Candy bars have long been a part of the American diet.
But who came first?
In the way of “candy bars,” Fry’s Chocolate Cream was first introduced in 1866. It is considered “the first industrialized and affordable chocolate bar” in the world’s history. According to the website, the original chocolate bar consisted of a “plain fondant center, which is coated with plain chocolate.” To note, there are a variety of fondant flavors, like peppermint cream, raspberry cream, orange cream, and strawberry cream. I would probably have gone for the strawberry cream. Or raspberry.
So here is the deal. They are still on the market today, even though it has been more than 150 years since the first appearance of Fry’s Chocolate Cream. Fry’s chocolate factory, now known as Cadbury, (those clucking rabbit eggs), has been associated with chocolate making since 1761. They still remain one of the biggest chocolate manufacturers on the market today.
But here in America, the candy bar had a different first look. That came in the way of the Hershey Milk Chocolate Bar. It was first sold in 1900 and achieved instant success. Hershey’s refers to it as “The Great American Chocolate Bar.” Snappy.
So, no matter what you dress up as today — and right now, most of you are looking a lot like yourselves — remember to sit down on the living room floor and spill out your pillowcase full of candy. Sort through it. Root around in it. And rejoice once you’ve found the perfect choice for your first indulgence.
Enjoy the goodness. Life is filled with little blessings. Savor the sweetness.
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Whoever thought a tiny candy bar should be called fun size was a moron.
― Glenn Beck
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All the candy corn that was ever made was made in 1911.
― Lewis Black
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Sometimes I think that the one thing I love most about being an adult is the right to buy candy whenever and wherever I want.
― Ryan Gosling
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