As a night of trick-or-treating approaches on Halloween, many of us are getting our costumes ready and preparing to indulge in our favorite candy and treats. The annual debate over our favorite Halloween sweets continues as we strategize which candy to grab first and which to trade away at the end of our sugary conquest. In order to solve the important question of which candy is the most desirable to receive on Halloween, the Lancer Ledger surveyed the student body to put this debate to rest.
New Jersey trick-or-treaters have favored many candies over the years, but for the past decade, the most popular candy award goes to Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups. Other contenders according to statistics include M&Ms and Snickers, with Kit-Kat and Skittles coming in next. Candy preferences sometimes vary by region in the state. According to NJ.com, in 2021 and 2022, salt water taffy was the state’s most popular sweet treat due to its presence on the many boardwalks of the state’s coastal regions.
According to New Jersey 101.5, “New Jersey’s favorite Halloween candy is the same as the nation’s most popular. Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup remains the top candy choice for Halloween in New Jersey.”
At LRHS, out of all the candies listed, only one treat stood out among the rest beating out other popular candies like Kit-Kats and Twix bars. Lakeland’s most popular candy by far was Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups with 40% of voters choosing the state’s favorite candy.
Following close behind Reese’s as the second most preferred Halloween candy was Twix bars earning 24% of votes and trailing behind was Three Musketeers earning just 8% of the votes for favorite candy.
The vote for the least favorite candy had some close margins, but Lakeland students’ least favorite candy by far is Mike & Ike, a candy dating back to the 1940s, earning 20% of votes. Surprisingly, Snickers followed as students’ next least favorite candy earning 16% of the votes. Bringing up the rear was a tie between Fun dip, Swedish Fish, and Lemonheads.
According to Forbes, the NFR (National Retail Federation) estimates that the nation spent $3.9 billion on Halloween candy this year, which is up 11% from last year. Between inflation and tariffs, this Halloween, the price of candy just might be scarier than a bag full of Mike and Ikes. Just make sure to hold onto those Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups and your Halloween stock will surely rise.
