With the holiday of candy and trick or treating having recently passed, it is imperative to address the second best day of celebration in October: National Candy Corn Day. 

This day of recognition falls on Oct. 30 every year and is the source of brutal controversy with equally passionate lovers and haters of the candy. Many of whom enjoy debating the subject in the comment section of seasonal candy corn themed social media posts. 

It is clear, however, that these haters lack the cultured palate that the lovers possess. The most common complaint made is that candy corn is ‘too sweet’ but is that not the purpose of candy?  This argument is an attack on candy as a whole and should be reevaluated for the sake of good taste.  

In order to fully grasp the brilliance of this sweet snack its history must be evaluated. The colorful candies stem all the way back to their year of creation in 1880 by Philadelphia candymaker George Renninger. The candy rose to popularity with the help of the modern day Jelly Belly Candy Co. and the company continues to sell the tri-colored candy today. 

The sweet vanilla, marshmallow flavored candy is produced by the tons year round. The National Confectioners Association found that over 35 million tons of candy corn are produced each year to keep up with demands.

Candy corn has been associated with Halloween for decades, but different colored variations of the candy are available year round for different holidays. Many candy companies, including the popular Brach’s Confections Inc., have expanded their selections introducing candy corn in different flavors and shapes. Yet, another reason why the candy has maintained popularity for so long.

There has even been the introduction of candy corn themed baked goods. Grocery stores shelves are lined with cookies frosted with the classic yellow, orange, and white pattern and cupcakes with candy corn sprinkled on top. Oreo released a limited edition candy corn flavored twist on their iconic cookie and The Hershey Company introduced a white chocolate snack that included small candy corn bits. The demand for this candy is undeniable. 

Candy corn themed merchandise has gained in popularity in recent years as well. This candy has made its way onto shirts, hats, socks and more. There are even Halloween costumes dedicated to the candy with some extremely dedicated fans making matching costumes for their pets. 

Plus, candy corn is one of the healthier candy options with only 140 calories for every 19 pieces and around 28 grams of sugar. Of course, no candy could ever really be considered healthy but this fact is too important to disregard. There is a significant amount of artificial coloring and flavoring used, but virtually all candy is made up of sugar, corn syrup and several different kinds of the same color so this serves as a minor detail. 

Regardless of the debate surrounding this famous candy, the positive demand is too significant to overlook. Taste buds can be hard to change so if the aforementioned information was not enough to encourage a reevaluation of the candy corn itself let it be a reminder that only the most special candies have nationally recognized days of celebration.

Photo from Flickr