Flashback Friday is a place for all things reminiscence. Flashbacks can be personal recollections or they can also be looks back to the “Good Old Days” of our collective past.
As an adult, Halloween is an entirely different experience than celebrating it as a kid. The movies are different, the costumes are real different(don’t get me started on the stupid sexy nurse costumes)and after a certain age it just isn’t socially acceptable to go trick or treating anymore. I guess it makes sense, instead of taking candy from older people, we have become the older people, and now give the candy to the younger people. It’s like a full-circle infinite, candy cycle.
As for the actual candy, it is probably one of the biggest differences between Halloweens past and Halloweens present. Don’t get me wrong, there is some good candy today, and I do gladly “share it” with my children and “test it for poison,” but I do miss the classics that I received during my 80s adventures as a clown, and in the numerous other costumes I wore.
Here are the top three candies I miss from the 80s:
Bottle Caps
I have always been a soda fan and these candies always got me wondering how Wonka figured out how to make them taste and feel like soda without having any liquid. I guess he was a genius, after all, just watch Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, so maybe it isn’t actually much of a wonder. I think my favorite Bottlecaps in order are: root beer, cola, and grape.
Fun Dip
What kid is going to say no to pure flavored sugar? I loved scooping out every last granule of this sugary snack. Of course I loved the grape most and the lime least. Why do they even make lime flavored candy for kids? Do any of them actually like it? The truth about Fun Dip though is that the stick you licked and dipped was actually the best part. I always had to practice supreme self control to not eat all of the stick before I polished off the sugar. I wish they would have just sold the sticks individually. Hmmm...future marketing tip?
Pop Rocks
The draw to this candy isn’t 100% a flavor thing for me. When I first tried this candy and it started to fizzle and pop in my mouth, I was mesmerized. It was a whole new experience and one that I obviously haven’t forgotten. On occasion, I’ll spot Pop Rocks in a gas station and the sight takes me right back to my childhood and the rich memories I have of walking around the neighborhood for hours, impatiently knocking on neighbor’s front doors in hopes of receiving the best of the candies.
So, what about you? What are some of your favorite candies from your childhood Halloween adventures? Which candies did you despise? Feel free to get a Halloween candy dialogue going in the comments below!
