Monday, October 31 — There’s an excellent chance that today is an occasion deeply revered by young children and the nation’s candy makers. According to ancient Celtic tradition, Halloween — the evening before All Saints Day — is a time of 
haunting by ghosts. Halloween has come a long way from pagan practices to “trick or treat!” Today’s prank and costume-filled observance goes back about a century in the U.S., and giving the disguised young visitors to the doorstep some candies has been a major part of the ritual. This is an important boost to the nation’s more than 1,600 chocolate and non-chocolate confectionary manufacturers, along with some 3,370 candy and nut stores. Chocolate sales alone amount to nearly $14 billion annually.
You can find more facts about America’s people, places and economy, from the American Community Survey.
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