Classic Candy Boxes for Parties and Holidays

America has always had a sweet tooth. Long before it was a name on a

map, the first inhabitants enjoyed maple syrup as a snack. European

settlers introduced a whole host of sugary snacks that they had

brought with them from the Old World. Most of these threats were

sweet meats or confectionaries, though they were often referred to as

candy.

Sugar Candy was popular and widely available in early America. Many

people made treats like licorice, marshmallows, marzipan, pralines,

and sugar plums at home and served them for dessert. Before long,

candies that could be sold individually, like peppermints, were

offered at general stores, often for a penny.

The Industrial Revolution took candy out of the home and into the

factories. By the middle of the 19th century, there were more than

four hundred of them that made, packaged and shipped nothing but

candy. Sales skyrocketed as skilled chocolates and creative candy men

introduced iconic new products and brands.

The first major candy milestone in America was made by Whitman, who

introduced the first box of chocolates in 1854. A few years later,

candy corn, Tootsie Rolls, and cotton candy was invented. These

newfangled treats could be found at most country fairs and carnivals

across the land by the turn of the century.

The world famous Hershey's chocolate bar was introduced in 1900 and

was followed a few years later by Hershey's Kisses. According to

candy historians (yes, there are such people!), this was the

beginning of the golden age of candy when most of the treats we enjoy

to this day were first introduced. Between 1900 and 1950, names like

Baby Ruth, Milky Way, Snickers, M & Ms, Milk Duds, Reese's, Red Host,

Junior Mints, and many, many more entered the American lexicon.

Where are we now?

Candy is an enormous industry in the United States, though it has

always been highly seasonal. Americans dole out nearly six hundred

million pounds of candy on Halloween alone, about two pounds for

every citizen. That's around 1.8 billion dollars in sweets! They also

buy over two billion candy canes to hang on their trees and stuff

into stockings on Christmas. Then there's Easter and Valentine's Day,

which is definitely chocolate-centric holidays. All told, Americans

spend several billion dollars on candy each year.

Who is it for?

Candy has always been and will always be more popular with kids. Most

adults simply cannot enjoy it on a regular basis. Its high sugar

content and empty calories can be hard on the hips. But even though

they don't eat that much of it, adults are responsible for most candy

purchases. And when they buy, they tend to buy the brands they know,

the ones they enjoyed as kids. In this article we are going to take a

look at a few iconic candy boxes from the past.