I can think of numerous holiday occasions that ended with the same collection of candy from multiple outside sources. Whether it was Halloween, Easter or Christmas parades, I vividly remember sitting down with my sister to dump out our bags and divvy up our spoils. We both agreed on the same classic candy opinions, so we naturally fought over the “good stuff.”
So, what constitutes the good candy? It is the candy that you dig around in the bowl for if no one is looking — the candy you discreetly scan the top of the container for when presented to you by a generous Halloween host. For me, the answer is simple.
The mini candy bar comes in a few iterations, but it is best exemplified by a Milky Way or a Snickers. It is a complex candy, with layers and different elements of that sort, which serve to give the one eating an overall amplified experience — much better than a simpler candy without such complications.
A KitKat is a superior Halloween candy for much of the same reason, as the layers of wafers elevate the eating experience by adding that signature crunch. The same can be said of the candy coating on M&M’s.
On the other end of the candy spectrum sits Sour Patch Kids or Warheads. They cater to a slightly different demographic, one that enjoys the punch in the mouth that the sourness offers. I, myself, am a bit partial to chocolate, but there have been quite a few specific occasions where something is needed to cut the sweetness, especially in a Halloween candy binge.
Instacart ran statistics on the popularity of certain candies around Halloween, with forementioned candies like M&M’s and Sour Patch Kids getting a shoutout.  Further data from the grocery-ordering service revealed that in Mississippi, candy corn was bought at a rate higher than the national average.
For people raised in a church in the deep South, maybe you have the same memory as I do of old ladies in the adjacent pews offering up a hard candy for your consumption. Of course, Grandma here is being awfully generous, but no, I do not want your nasty, expired-tasting candy. Leave the butterscotch at home, please.
Furthermore, most of these older generation candies have the most suspicious of labels. I have never once seen a nutrition label or ingredients list. Surely, then, in this world where it seems kids are claiming more and more allergies by the day, we would recognize the flaw in execution here.
But still, we continue to say, “Here, kid in a mummy costume, take this candy in a label that looks like a strawberry. I cannot tell you the name of the candy, but maybe you will be fine. Just take the risk.”
The numbers do not lie, and neither do the taste buds. The majority of people want the standard candies — the good stuff. Throwing out some random discount candy bag that looks like it belongs at the bottom of your grandmother’s purse is a disservice to the kids and to the holiday itself. Houses that stick to putting out the fan-favorites are sure to build up local legend as the “good” house every Halloween for years to come.