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Halloween Candy
Halloween has not always been about candy. In fact, it is a very recent change in the food traditions of the holiday due to safety concerns and inconvenience of baking, cooking, and setting up games for children. The increase in technology and easy news alerts has helped us keep up with incidents, and has allowed the holiday to change with the times that we are living in. Although the levels of excitement may not be the same, it is important for traditions to be easy and a bonding experience. -
The Beginning
This artifact is a page out 10 out of the Bogie Book. This page contains a menu in the bottom right corner labeled “Menu for Buffet Supper”. The menu shows how the holiday used to be about dinner, celebrating the loved ones who have passed on. It is all homemade food such as potato salad and preserved ginger sandwiches. These foods show the effort that went into treating others on Halloween. -
The Calm Before the Storm
This artifact is a photograph taken in Washington DC in the 1940s at Frederick Douglass Community Center. This photo pictures children using apples for a homemade game.According to the National Museum of American History, candy was not the first thing handed out; “Cookies, cake, and popcorn balls, in addition to apples, coins, and small trinkets.” Kids were also invited inside for halloween games such as bobbing for apples. This shows the community and trust we had in our neighbors in this time. -
The Trick in “Trick or Treat”
This artifact is a newspaper headline stating “Fear of Tainted Candy Prompts Wide Concern for Halloweeners” by Suzanne Daley. There were reports of needles and pins, and even tranquilizer pills in treats such as apples that were given to children. The hospital began giving out free X-rays due to the outburst of danger in treats. According to CNN, 40 states cancelled Halloween entirely in the 1970s, since wrapped candy was the only treat deemed to be safe and trusted by parents. -
A New Kind of Normal
This newspaper headline states that “Only 1 trick reported” during this halloween, in response to the 1970s-80s when treats were dangerous for people, and many died from tampered candy. The move from homemade to packaged candy demonstrates significant changes to help make halloween be a trusting holiday. It shows a new normal for kids and parents, to enhance safety and keep this holiday tradition for many years. -
The Pandemic
In 2020, COVID-19 was still very involved in our lives during Halloween. Some people did not trick or treat, but many wanted to feel the normalcy and tradition of the holiday, so people got very creative, as seen in this photograph. People had prepackaged bags of candy for kids, in order to keep maximum distance, and minimal contact, while still making it easy and convenient for parents. Lynn Rutecki, on USA Today states “ 2020 has been hard enough”, referring to the continuation of the holiday. -
Conclusion
The change in Halloween treats have all been for a reason, but it creates a safer, more convenient holiday for parents and children. Wrapped candy has led to less death from the holiday in the past 40-50 years, and has allowed us to continue the tradition for many generations.