Halloween Candy is dandy - across the pond and across the U.S.

I have recently been surprised, delighted even, to discover that Halloween is a well-celebrated holiday here in the UK! I know it didn't used to be, and the woman who works at the Heathrow tube claimed it's still not (while sitting under a spider-webby awning and a desk bedecked with paper jack-o-lanterns!) Pshaw! It's so celebrated that the English Department at my university, King's College London, will have a "proper" (as they say here) bash Tuesday night. Hooray!

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While I can't say whether the candy here will match the candy of my youth -- all those bags my brother and I spilt on the floor of our Livermore, California home in the 70s -- but I'm willing to bet they'd do. Meanwhile, I was delighted to get a press release on just what candies are dandiest back in my home states - California and Connecticut - as well as Virginia, where I most recently lived.

A woman from a company called The Candy Store in L.A., said:

"I’m writing you because Halloween is just around the corner, and I have an interactive map of The Most Popular Halloween Candies in America that I think your readers will be "sweet" on. Our results are solidly grounded in over 10 years of sales data, and we think the favorites are pretty unexpected!"

You had me at 'Candies,' lady...

"We have ranked the most popular Halloween candy in each individual state, as well as the first and second runners up. The map is fun and colorful, with icons for each flavor, and the article features embeddable, easy-reference tables for each dataset and fun copy that gives details on each state," she added.

Yum! So Connecticut's favorite is Almond Joy? Hmmm. Maybe I was wise to leave after all. California fancies the M&M - okay, but not wow. Virginia's into Snickers this year. Mmm. I like last year's choice for Va. better, Hot Tamales.

Anyway, this is a fun read, and a tasty one, if you're ready to let your kid out and have an excuse to go grab a bowl of Tootsie Pops, Seattle or Starbursts, Texas. Yee-haw! Happy Halloween.

Check out the top Halloween candies in your state and read about them here