Food Series Continued

Remember when Penny Candy was all that the name implies? I could get Root Beer Barrels that would hardly fit in my mouth and then after I got them in, it was hard for my little kid's mouth to close so I always had this sticky, syrupy dribble. Black Jack Gum and Cinnamon gum! Those were the days! (am I sounding old yet?)
We were always admonished not to eat "too much" candy, "too much" was never an explicit measurable amount but we knew it was much less than what we wanted. "Too much" to a kid is when you are doubled over with a stomach ache, anything less than that is just right. We looked forward to holidays because those were "free" candy days, even the strictest of parents would let their kids indulge in sweet sinfulness. Especially Christmas and Easter, which are religious holidays, I still don't get the reasoning behind giving candy on those days, the only thing I can think of is maybe candy is a God-given right to children.

** Candy filled Easter baskets weren't popular until the late 1880's when manufactured candy became readily available.

** 15 Billion Jelly Beans are made for Easter, enough to cirle the earth 3 times if laid end to end,