Department of Caramel, Nougat, and Fireballs
The following is the annual Orange and Black Book reporting for candy year ending October 31, 2020 (CY2020), as compiled by the department of Caramel, Nougat, and Fireballs (DCNF).
Halloween fell on a Saturday this year, and had complicating factors of a full moon and an extra hour sleep due to the concurrence of the seasonal end of Daylight Savings Time. (See report from the department of Daylighting and Moonlighting for just how much daylight was saved in 2020.) Confounding factors for this year’s candy supply chain included a one-time pandemic (COVID-19, see abstracts). This factor also obfuscated what can legally be considered a “Halloween Mask” versus a “Personal Protection Mask”, however it is the feeling of the board of directors that any mask will be considered a Halloween mask for the purposes of costume counting, though this exception was only valid for the twelve hours before and the twelve hours after median trick-or-treating (T-oT) time of 6:00 PM.
For the Eastern district of Flemington, 59 T-oT participants received treats. 57 of these were of the chocolate/nougat/nut variety, with choices being spread evenly between full size Hershey Bars (HB), HB with almonds, Reese Peanut butter Cups (RPC), and Twix. 2 To-T received the alternative of Halloween-themed pencils.
Unprecedented due to confounding situations noted above, the eastern distribution center was depleted of candy by about 7:15 PM. Therefore the numbers would have been undoubtedly higher. The candy distribution personnel were forced to extinguish all external lighting of the dwelling as well as main floor lighting and retreat to upstairs rooms. DCNF expects there to be retaliation for this action including, but not limited to, eggs and other projectile launching at the dwelling. We do predict a lack of toilet-papering (TP) as TP has become a highly sought after commodity in CY2020.
The following is the annual Orange & Black book report for Candy Year 2019 as reported by the Department of Caramel, Nougat, and Fireballs.
For CY2019, a seasonally-adjusted 44 trick-or-treaters arrived on location at the Flemington reporting station, representing an increase of 7.3% over CY2018. These results surprised forecasters who predicted a low turnout due to high winds and predicted rain. However, unrealized precipitation and favorable temperatures, combined with recent real estate transactions in the area which increased the count of eligible T-o-T candidates. The T-o-Ts presented with an estimated a median age of 8 ± 3.3 years, significantly lower than CY 2018. Two factors may account for this difference, the aforementioned real estate boom and the recent relocation of Alex Mannix from the neighborhood. Costume effort was high, with the most popular costume being S.W.A.T. members for boys, princesses for girls, with a spread between Elsa, Belle, Cinderella, and Rapunzel.
6.8% of children chose candy-alternate treats, maintaining a steady rate over the past 3 years. Forecasters predict moderate growth of T-o-T over the next two seasons.
The above is believed to be accurate. However readers should not consider this advice of future candy consumption, nor do the authors make any guarantees regarding economic impact these numbers may cause.