Trick or Treat!
Give Us Something Good to Eat
So with the big day soon approaching, it seems as good a time as any for a Halloween Candy Etiquette Primer. There is no doubt that Trick or Treating for Candy is by far one of the best parts of Halloween for both kids and adults alike. Most of us began our Halloween experience on the 'Receiving' end. We were dressed up in funny or creepy costumes, and taken door to door to strangers houses to beg for treats.....and this somehow magically made good sense to us and to our parents. If you were lucky enough to have parental units such as these, who indulged you in this yearly ritual....then please take a moment to sit in silent reflection and gratitude at being the offspring of such fun-loving and cool parents (like this Dad below)!!
Alas, time marches on, and after many Moons have waxed and waned....you one day awaken to find yourself on the 'Giving' end of the Trick or Treating Exchange. You've finally grown up....or not in many cases! And you may now have kiddies of your own, or just be too old and gray to pass yourself off any longer as a child...and thus, the right of passage takes place. You spend your first Halloween gearing up to receive Trick or Treaters, and thus pass on the torch of 'Halloween Spirit'! If you are a REALLY cool and fun adult, you will also of course decorate your house inside and out, and don a costume of your own as you pass out the goods to the next generation. But your biggest decision will be....What Candy Do I Give? And this is where an honest assessment is in order.
We must ask ourselves these questions? What did I LOVE to get in my sack when I was a young Trick or Treater? What did I LOATHE to get in my sack when I was a young Trick or Treater? What do the kids today want to get in their sacks? What kind of Halloween Legacy do I wish to leave behind?
These are important questions! Now it's true that the first two questions would seemingly be a matter of opinion. However, there is actual research (albeit highly unscientific) that shows that there are indeed a few 'universal items' that fall in each list. But let's begin with the LOATHE list, shall we? And let's first apply lessons we've learned from Charlie Brown & The Great Pumpkin many years ago that still apply today. Kids prefer Candy to Toys and Trinkets....and Rocks! It's the one and only day of the year that people are willing to give you gobs of FREE CANDY that your parents won't let you have any other time. So it's a no-brainer that Candy wins out!
Toys might seem like a valid alternative, but save the toys for party favors. And don't even think about any Fruit, lest you wish for reprisals later in the evening! That of course means Apples, but also includes Raisins; according to surveys. Fruit is just too risky, and good parents would just throw it away, so it's also a waste of money. Well-intentioned, utilitarian objects are also a no-no! Such items as books, pencils, fast food coupons and toothbrushes, while indeed useful....will only be met with utter disappointment, and will forever seal your fate as the worst house on the block! You will evermore have to endure The Scarlet Letter of Halloween Shame....UnCoolness! That is NOT the legacy you want to leave is it?! Of course not! So what DO kids want today? Do they love the same things you loved as a child?
Maybe....maybe not! Unscientific research presents us with the following considerations...1.) Kids unanimously detest receiving boxes of raisins...but then we already ascertained that. 2.) The 'Sweet and Tart' group of candy items also ranked at the low end of the scale, with the most favorable showing in that class being Starburst. 3.) The 'Chocolate' category always ranks high, and oft times is the clear winner. This group includes all the perennial favorites such as Reeses, Hersheys, Twix, Snickers, Kit Kat, etc. 4.) When it comes to 'Chocolate', kids tend to prefer Milk over Dark....so save the dark for the adults. 5.) Also keep in mind that one big benefit of Chocolate to Trick or Treaters', is its high currency bartering rate in the Post Trick or Treating Candy Exchanges that occur later in the evening. 6.) In a surprise upset back in 2001, the 'Gummi' group actually won out in non-official testing. This group includes many things that are popular today, but probably weren't around when you were young, like Gummi Worms, Creepy Peepers, Twizzlers, Dots, Mike &Ikes, Crabby Patties, etc. 7.) There were also some specific items that ranked consistently low on the scale, which may seem surprising, like Laffy Taffy, Tootsie Rolls and DumDum pops. Those who dissed the DumDums wanted 'real' suckers instead. And last but not least...8.) In what almost constitutes 'legal slander', Candy Corn, the poster child of Halloween Candy, was insultingly relegated to being the "fruit cake of Halloween, it never goes away!" {Gasp} {Truth hurts!}
So there you have it....the informative low-down for In-the Know, Halloween Treat Givers! Choose your currency carefully, and put yourself in the shoes of the Trick or Treaters, for it wasn't so long ago that you were on the receiving end of that big Candy Bucket. Go forth and spread the Halloween Spirit while paying keen attention to the Legacy you will leave behind for other Halloween Enthusiasts through the decades! :o)
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