Halloween Candy Facts: 12 Things You Might Not Have Known

Halloween is a treasured American holiday -- and it is one where candy rules. Grocery stores and pharmacies begin devoting aisles to trick-or-treating booty for weeks before the 31st. It has been reported that the average American eats 24 pounds of candy a year, and most of that is likely consumed right around this time.

We all have our favorite Halloween treats, but do you know which one is the most widely bought? Which one is the most widely searched for? The trends for what Halloween candy consumers look for is also changing, and it varies per state. New York searches most for kosher candy, and Wisconsin for gummy worms. Any idea on which state is the most interested in gluten-free candy?

Want to take a guess at how many millions of pounds of candy we consume each year? Click through the slideshow to find the answers, and more interesting tidbits you may not have know about our Halloween candy culture.

And take a look to find out what HuffPost Food named as the 20 best and worst Halloween candies.

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Comments

[HerrMonk]

04:50 PM on 10/31/2011

Sad.

[signgrrl]

04:57 PM on 10/31/2011

?

[sabelmouse]

10:06 AM on 10/31/2011

i hate being forced to buy unhealthy , worth less food items so as to escape harassment by kids who live on this all year round.
i buy the cheapest chewy fruit sweets and avoid chocolate at all cost as i am not willing to support cocoa slavery .

[Food Review 101]

09:59 AM on 10/31/2011

http://www.foodreview101.com/ Just another holiday to fill up on food

[Seeyl8rg8r]

05:19 AM on 10/31/2011

Yuk, I hate candy corn... gimme some chocolate anyday!

[sabelmouse]

10:07 AM on 10/31/2011

fair trade right ?

[mariday1]

07:15 PM on 10/30/2011

It's Halloween!!! Halloween means "candy"!!! I don't understand why so many people are against candy. I am glad I am not part of your family.

[northcntrlcoast]

05:45 PM on 10/30/2011

Alot more obesity americans. Obesity in younger adults leads to diabetes.

[robertsandimas]

05:46 PM on 10/29/2011

PS: Candy Corn has been around since the 1880's. (Source: Haunted Bay).

[Rooftop Voter]

09:11 PM on 10/30/2011

I think I have some Candy Corn that was made in the 1880's in my house somewhere.

[robertsandimas]

05:42 PM on 10/29/2011

Candy Corn facts:

Candy Corn Quick Facts
Candy corn has 3.57 calories per kernel
Halloween accounts for 75% of the annual candy corn production
Candy corn isn't just for Halloween there is also:
Reindeer corn for Christmas (red, green, and white)
Indian corn (it's chocolate and vanilla flavored)
Cupid corn for Valentine's Day (red, pink, and white)
Bunny corn for Easter (pastel-colored)

[no exit]

01:38 PM on 10/29/2011

Candy Corn is popular? I never in a million years would have guessed it. Bad tasting stuff, no flavor, solid sugar.

[blackjacki2]

06:48 AM on 10/29/2011

"Americans purchase nearly 600 million pounds of candy a year for Halloween.

What does that look like? Imagine 16 billion fun size Snickers bars or 158 trillion individual Candy Corns."

Thanks for the tip. I was having a problem imagining what 600 million pounds of candy looks like but luckily I know exactly what 158 trillion candy corns look like

[eman810]

12:04 AM on 10/31/2011

LMFAO :)

[RK Johnston]

11:13 PM on 10/28/2011

I enjoy jelly beans; mint leaves; orange slices; licorice drops (I prefer Brach's, btw); Crows; Dots; and Good & Fruity.

For chocolate: ANYTHING BUT NESTLE! Lindt makes a lot of what I like.
--RKJ

[johnjohn4321]

06:57 PM on 10/28/2011

Alabama would have more candy corn if they hadn't driven out all the migrant farm workers.

[linkmaster]

11:17 AM on 10/31/2011

How do they get their candy corn to grow in Alabama? I tried planting some this year in NC and none came up!

[Donns]

07:28 AM on 11/01/2011

Perhaps the Ph of your soil is incorrect. I planted some in Florida but the darned Squirrels got it before it grew.

[CrashTest]

06:35 PM on 10/28/2011

Must be a lot of diya-bet-ess in Kentucky.

[msjimmied]

06:04 PM on 10/28/2011

Buy the good kind folks, make Halloween special for the kiddies. We have a lady on the corner who hands out bible tracks...

[GraniteSkyline]

05:38 PM on 10/28/2011

What is candy corn exactly? Is it some sort of emulsion of sugar and wax, or of sugar and plastic?

[onionboy]

05:54 PM on 10/28/2011

Sugar and heaven.

[mother10]

06:49 PM on 10/28/2011

SMILE...I still like it too !

[RK Johnston]

11:05 PM on 10/28/2011

Sugar, coloring, and honey, molded and heat-formed into the only corn not found on a cob!
--RKJ

[lex19999]

08:51 PM on 10/30/2011

Thou is happy thou asked. It be composed of cocoanut hulls, spam, & hi fructose linseed oil.