Study Reveals Surprising Truth About The US' Favorite Holiday For Candy

With every holiday comes a wave of seasonal and limited-edition treats to make the occasion extra sweet. But which holiday has the best candy of all? According to an online survey conducted by Instacart and The Harris Poll, the answer may surprise you.

The first candy-focused holiday to come to mind for most of us is, understandably, Halloween. After all, the main event centers on collecting as many sweets as possible. But despite its candy-centric status, Halloween may not be the favored candy holiday among many Americans.

In the survey of more than 2,000 Americans, 65% agreed that Easter was the holiday with the best candy. Meanwhile, 57% of participants said that Easter candy is superior to Halloween candy, specifically. Regardless of their preference, an even larger majority of participants showed enthusiasm for Easter candy in general: 77% of survey respondents affirmed they would be buying Easter candy this year.

So why does Easter candy reign supreme? According to Laurentia Romaniuk, trends expert at Instacart, the reason is pretty simple. "With marshmallow chicks, chocolate bunnies and eggs, and jelly beans hitting store shelves just once a year, consumers are able to look forward to the limited-time offering of the specialty candies," she said. In contrast, Halloween candies are typically fun-sized versions of the same treats that are available year-round.

As part of its investigation into Easter candy, Instacart also used its purchase data to analyze the most popular Easter treats by volume in each U.S. state. Cadbury's Easter Crème Egg took first place in 24 states, arguably making it America's favorite Easter candy. Reese's Peanut Butter Eggs were the favorite in 20 states, landing them in second place overall. Combined, these two candies account for Instacart's most-purchased Easter candies by volume in 88% of the country.

Other Easter candies that made the top 10 were Starburst's Easter Jelly Beans, Cadbury's Mini Chocolate Eggs, and Peeps' iconic marshmallow chicks.