Halloween candy assortment. Photo courtesy of Myung J. Chun with the Los Angeles Times

Every year kids indulge in a chocolate delight or squint their eyes as the sourness of Sour Patch Kid sinks in. Regardless, everyone must have a preferred candy, a likely cause of the post-trick-or-treat candy trade.

According to Statista, “In 2022, M&M’s were the most popular candy brand among millennials in the United States. About 76 percent of respondents had a positive opinion of this brand. In second place were Gummy Bears, with 72 percent.” Each person has a reason why they like their favorite candy. When asked about her favorite Halloween candy, Katherine Lee, a junior at CdM, answered, “My favorite candy is Twizzlers, the strawberry flavor [because] I think it’s nostalgic, [and have] always had it ever since I was young.” However, Noosha Zamani, a freshman at CdM, commented, “I love Yorks because I love mint.” Also, Siena McOwen, a freshman at CdM, answered, “Twix [because] they’re really good.”

Their least favorite candies to receive, likely to end up uneaten at the bottom of her pillowcase, Lee commented that, “Whoppers or the God Stoppers, I can’t stand that type of candy.” Lee explains it’s because “They always are weirdly stale, always like the crustiest of all.” Some people have strong opinions on the candies that they dislike the most. Zamani vocalized, “I don’t like Skittles. [They’re] just disgusting. Have you seen [how] they like to put water on [them].” Zamani continued, “Reese’s Pieces are disgusting. I had [them], and [they don’t] taste like Reese’s. [ They’re] peanut butter in a chocolate shell. It’s a negative fifty out of ten. Colors [are] disgusting, disgusting taste, overall revolting.” 

These are definitely some candies that will remain in their rappers or be traded– at least by Lee and Zamani. These trading rings allow people to get all their favorites. Lee mentioned, “My sisters didn’t like Twizzlers, so I would trade them the candy I [disliked] for Twizzlers.” However, people can get greedy with their candy, Zamani remarked, “It [definitely] does break out a whole war not gonna lie in my family.”