National Candy Day

By Diane Forrest,

When my son was small every Friday night was pizza and movie night.  We would go to the video store and he would pick out his 2 favorite movies, over and over again!  His favorites were Peter Pan, with Mary Martin, and Willy Wonka.  Willy Wonka is a movie about an eccentric candy maker who has a contest giving away 5 golden tickets.  The winners of the tickets will be allowed into the exotically private candy factory for a tour, and a lifetime supply of candy, if they abide by the rules.   The real reason for the contest is to find a successor for the candy factory, and he wants to choose someone with the same ideals and morals that he has.   Once the winners of the tickets have been found, they, along with their parents enter the wonderful chocolate factory.   They go through this small door, and on the other side is a magical place. Everything you see is edible; it’s a kid's paradise!

"Come with me, and you'll be

In a world of pure imagination

Take a look and you'll see

Into your imagination"

When I was younger I would love going to this little store down the road from my grandmother's house.  There were rows and rows of candy, and it was so hard to pick just one thing.  At Christmas we would get little books that when opened contained two sides of lifesavers, we would also get huge peppermint sticks that were as big as baseball bats ( well at least it seemed that big).  On Easter we would get a basket filled with all types of sweet treats.  I remember my first Valentine’s Day away from home, my first year in college, and I didn’t get my usual box of candy from my father.  I was crushed, and I guess he didn’t realize how special it was for me to get it every year, but, I had it the next day, and every year after.   Different types of candy are not only sweet and delicious, but they also bring sweet memories too.

Today is National Candy day.  Since Halloween was celebrated a few days ago, many still have candy around the house.  However, if you want to remember the days of your childhood, try looking at these sites for some of the candies you grew up with.

http://www.hometownfavorites.com/nostalgic-candy/best-selling-nostalgic-candy/

http://www.oldtimecandy.com/