The History of Halloween Candy

When trick-or-treating first began in the 1930s and early 1940s, children were given a wide variety of items and foodstuffs, including coins, toys, fruit, nuts, and homemade cookies or pieces of cake. In the 1950s, candy manufacturers began to promote their products for Halloween and consumers began to regard candy as an affordable item to offer trick-or-treaters. But it wasn’t until the 1970s that wrapped, store-bought candy gained its reputation as the only acceptable Halloween handout. Why? Parents worried that anything other than sealed, store-bought treats could pose a safety risk to their kids. Today, of course, store-bought candy endures as the Halloween goodie of choice and young trick-or-treaters go door to door gathering all of their favorites.