How Much Candy Should You Buy For Halloween

Halloween is one of the most exciting times of the year for many people, regardless of age. Between the candy, spooky decorations, and fun community vibe, Halloween is a time for people to come together. So, how much candy should you buy for Halloween?

You should buy 150-200 pieces of candy if 50 trick-or-treaters visit your house. Each child typically gets 2-3 small pieces of candy, so you must calculate how much you need based on how many trick-or-treaters visit your house each year. The United States typically buys over 600 million pounds of candy each year around Halloween.

Provide healthy treats like raisins and nuts if you don’t want to give out candy. Otherwise, you can simply turn off your porch light and leave the house for the night if you don’t want to participate in Halloween. Follow along as we explore how much candy you should buy for Halloween.

How Much Candy Should You Buy For Trick Or Treating?

You should buy at least 150 pieces of candy for Halloween, but it varies based on where you live. For example, 150 small pieces of candy should be enough if you typically get 50 trick-or-treaters each Halloween. That’s assuming you give each of them up to 3 pieces.

However, you may want to play it safe and get 200-300 small pieces of candy in bulk for Halloween. That is especially true if you live in a densely populated area with a big trick-or-treating presence. You aren’t required to provide candy for everyone, however, so you can always just hand it out until it’s gone and put a sign on your door that says you have no more candy.

You can typically find bags of “fun-sized” candy that include 100 pieces. The average homeowner may only need to buy 1-2 of these 100-piece bags.

How Much Candy Do You Give Each Child On Halloween?

Most homeowners give each child 2 to 3 pieces of candy on Halloween. However, it varies based on how much candy you have, and how big each piece is. For example, you may only want to give each child one piece of candy if it’s big.

Major stores like Walmart sell bulk packs of “fun-sized” candy that are small and perfect to give out on Halloween. You can always leave small pieces of candy in a bucket for children to take so you don’t have to hand it out. Write a note beside the bucket that says, “Take two pieces”, but you can’t guarantee they won’t take more.

What Type Of Candy Should You Give For Halloween?

The most popular types of candy to give on Halloween include M&M’s, Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, and Tootsie Pops. Hershey’s Milk Chocolate bars, Twizzlers, and Sour Patch Kids are also among the most popular types of Halloween candy. Candy Corn is an iconic Halloween staple, and it’s one of the best to give out each year.

What Can You Give On Halloween Besides Candy?

You can give out everything from granola bars and oranges to glow sticks if you don’t want to provide candy on Halloween. Honey sticks are a great sweet treat to give out on Halloween if you don’t want to hand out candy. Many health-conscious homeowners understandably don’t want to give candy, but they still want to participate in Halloween.

In that case, you can hand out small packets of raisins, healthy chips, and fruit. However, you should ideally provide the healthy treat in a sealed bag or container to avoid contamination. This will also let the trick-or-treaters and their parents know that it isn’t expired or rotten.

Some homeowners give out nuts on Halloween, but you must be careful with that. Many people are allergic to nuts, and it’s one of the top 8 most common allergies in the United States.

How Much Candy Do People Buy For Halloween?

The United States sells over 600 million pounds of Halloween candy each year. It takes 158 million people to buy that much candy each Halloween season. The United States leads the world in Halloween candy sales, but Germany buys the most candy per capita each season.

What Time Does Trick-Or-Treating Start?

Children typically start trick-or-treating when the sun goes down. This varies based on where you live, but you can expect the first pack of trick-or-treaters between 5:30 and 6 p.m. in most places. You will get most of your visitors between 7 and 8 p.m. and there is typically a steady flow.

Trick-or-treaters typically stop visiting houses at 9 p.m. or earlier, but it varies. Some neighborhoods and cities have specific rules regarding when trick-or-treating is allowed on Halloween. In that case, you can easily decline any trick-or-treaters if they visit your house after the curfew.

Do You Have To Give Out Candy For Halloween?

You don’t have to give out candy for Halloween, and many homeowners don’t participate in the holiday. There is no reason to give out candy for Halloween if you are tight on money or simply don’t want people to come to your door.

If you don’t want to give out candy on Halloween, you can turn off your porch light to keep trick-or-treaters away.

Avoid decorating your yard and porch for Halloween, so trick-or-treaters are less likely to visit your door. It also helps to put a sign on your door or the walkway to your porch to let them know you don’t have any candy. Some homeowners even leave the house on Halloween night until 9 or 10 p.m. to avoid the trick-or-treating crowd.

Summing It Up

You should buy at least 150 small pieces of candy if 50 trick-or-treaters typically visit your house on Halloween. Give each child 2-3 small pieces of candy or leave a bowl of candy out for them to grab some. If you’d rather not give out candy on Halloween, you can provide healthy treats like nuts, fruit, and granola bars.

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