It’s almost time for all the ghosts and goblins to make their annual appearance. Halloween is just about a week away. Once again people will spend millions for costumes, candy, lights, and all kinds of paraphernalia for this holiday. With that in mind here are some facts about this very popular holiday.
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According to the United States Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service, in 2016 the top pumpkin-producing states — Illinois, California, Ohio, New York, Pennsylvania, and Michigan — produced 1.41 billion pounds of pumpkins.
When buying Halloween candy for trick-or-treaters, stay away from the most-hated candies of 2017: Circus Peanuts, candy corn, wax coke bottles, Necco Waffers, Mary Janes, Tootsie Rolls, Smarties, black licorice, and Good & Plenty.
Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups are another story. They were 2017’s most popular Halloween candy. Other big favorites include Snickers, Twix, Kit Kat, Nerds, Sour Patch Kids, and Skittles.
Silly string is banned in Hollywood on October 31. A ban on the toy, created in 2004, is enforced on October 31, according to the The New York Times. If you’re caught with sticky hands, expect to pay a $1,000 fine.
In 2013, the U.S. Census Bureau estimated there were 41 million trick-or-treaters ages 5 to 14 in America. Parents spent an estimated $1 billion on children’s costumes combined. By 2014, that number nearly tripled. And according to the National Retail Federation, Halloween party-goers spent an estimated $2.8 billion on costumes overall. Today that number is over $3 billion.
Candy corn is one of the holiday’s most-produced candies. Since its invention in 1898 by the Herman Goelitz Confectionary Company of Fairfield, California (now known as the Jelly Belly Candy Company), candy corn has become wildly popular with nearly 35 million pounds produced each year.
Halloween is the second-largest consumer holiday in the U.S. Christmas is the only one to surpass it in sales. According to the National Retail Federation, consumers spent $5.8 billion on Halloween in 2010, and by 2015, that figure jumped to nearly $7 billion.
Ohio is home to the world’s longest haunted house. The Haunted Cave in Lewisburg, Ohio is 3,564 feet long and even spookier? Its located 80 feet below ground in an abandoned mine.
Halloween tops Valentine’s Day in candy sales. More than twice as much chocolate is sold. In total, $1.9 billion is spent on Halloween candy each year.
People really like to dress up their pets. In 2017, the most popular pet costumes were pumpkins, hot dogs, and a tie between a dog, lion, and pirate according to CNN.
Halloween also is recognized as the 3rd biggest party day after New Year’s and Super Bowl Sunday.
Looking for a cool place to spend Halloween? How about these towns in the U.S., Transylvania County, NC, Tombstone, AZ., Pumpkin Bend, AR., Cape Fear, NC., or Skull Creek, NE
