Extra sweets

Trick or Treat! About 41 million trick or treaters knocked on doors asking for candy across America, according to the most recent U.S. Census Bureau numbers. Hannah Malec, a fifth-grader, was one of those children. Malec loves to explore the treats in her Halloween sack on October 31. She often has so much candy, she puts extras aside.

“When I get home from Halloween, I put it on the floor, then me and my 14-year-old brother, Dylan Malec, trade,” Malec stated. “Then, after that, we put it in bags. We usually divide the chocolate and the gummies, and then we make a bag for the freezer and make a bag for movie nights, and then I eat some candy.”

Many people stock up on candy for trick-or-treaters like Malec.

“Candy continues to be the most popular [Halloween] purchase, with total spending expected to reach $3.9 billion,” according to the National Retail Federation’s website. That’s a company that follows spending in the U.S.

Ariana Maknine, another fifth-grader, also sorts and trades her treats, but has a special place for her extra goodies.

“When I bring my Halloween candy home, I pour it out of my bag, and I sort out with my brother, and we trade for candies that we want out of each other’s bags,” Maknine stated. “I freeze my favorite chocolate bars, and I hide the rest under my bed.”

Molly Lucas said she enjoys her stash of candies, but she shares the extras.

“When I bring my Halloween candy home, I always put it in my room and have a couple before I go to bed,” Lucas said. “When I had enough of my candy, I give it to my mom, and she brings it to her work for anyone to take when they walk by.”

The most recent popular Halloween candy purchased was Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups. That’s according to Instacart which is an online service to buy groceries. Peanut M&M’s, classic M&M’s, Kit Kat, and Snickers rounded out the top five. Instacart figured out the top five candies by measuring by the total weight sold in October 2024.