It’s time for Jack-O-Lanterns, spider webs, ghosts, and…Halloween candy! Regular readers of my weekly posts know I love sweets. So, of course, Trick-Or-Treating was one of the best nights of the year when I was young!
The greatest part of the night was coming home and dumping our old pillowcases full of candy on the kitchen table. The treats we got from neighbors in the 1970s look a lot different from the Halloween candy today.
Growing up on Dartmouth Avenue, most houses gave trick-or-treaters “fun-size” candy bars. In 2023, those same brands of candy bars are visibly smaller than what is sold today. Through a little research, I learned it’s because of “shrinkflation” and to reduce the calorie count. Shrinkflation is when manufacturers reduce the size of their products instead of increasing the price. That’s probably why our candy bags felt much heavier and looked like we got twice the amount of loot back in the day.
In the 70s we didn’t just collect candy on Halloween night. There were wax lips, Double Bubble Gum, and McDonald’s coupons for a free drink or french fry. At several neighbors’ houses, we received dimes or quarters taped on pieces of construction paper. Some gave apples, which we never ate, and the really cool houses gave away those small paper bags filled with treats. I couldn’t wait to see what was inside! If you were lucky, there may have been a black or orange spider ring tucked in along with candy!
Unfortunately, many brands of candy we received years ago on Halloween don’t exist anymore. However, there are several favorites that are making a comeback including my #1, The Watchamacallit! Here are 3 other retro candies that I would love to see come back into production and possibly get thrown into plastic pumpkin buckets and pillowcases once again.
- The Marathon Bar. Remember that big twisty rope of caramel covered in chocolate? It was the best!
- Choco’ Light Candy Bar. It was a thick, airy chocolate bar with little crispies inside. Loved that one too!
- Who remembers Bonkers? They were individually wrapped squares that came in packs. They remind me of a Starburst today but they had fruit filling inside.
Even something as simple as Halloween candy has evolved from 50 years ago. Make sure you indulge in your favorite candy on October 31. Have 1 piece, or maybe 3! After all, you do buy the kind of candy you like just in case there are leftovers, right? Happy Halloween!
I thought it would be fun to share this old Bonkers candy commercial! Do you remember it too?
Melanie R
I loved trick-or-treating back in the 70’s! Neighborhoods were safe for kids to go around with their friends, sans parents. Me, my little sister, and best friend from across the street always went together as a threesome. We’d get back home and me and my sister would dump our loot onto the living room floor and get all excited about what we got, plus we’d do trading. I don’t remember a candy called Bonkers nor Choco’ Light, hmm!
Judy Palermo
Wasn’t it the best! I love your sweet memories! I, too, had a great neighborhood and hung around the same group of kids. When we got home we would sort our candy..chocolate, fruit candy…Bonkers were good and Cho-co-light was one of my sister’s favorites! Thank you for your fun comment! Happy Halloween!