Here are some fun Easter facts straight from the National Confectioners Association (NCA) – the American candy industry’s leading and oldest trade association.
The first chocolate eggs were made in Europe in the early 19th century and remain among the most popular treats associated with Easter.
90 million chocolate Easter bunnies are made for Easter each year.
16 billion jelly beans are made for Easter.
Each day, five million marshmallow chicks and bunnies are produced in preparation for Easter.
Easter is the second top-selling confectionery holiday behind only Halloween.
88 percent of adults carry on the Easter tradition of creating Easter baskets for their kids.
76 percent of people eat the ears on chocolate bunnies first.
Red jelly beans are kids’ favorite.
According to the Guinness Book of World Records the largest Easter egg ever made was just over 25-ft high and made of chocolate and marshmallow. The egg weighed 8,968 lbs. and was supported by an internal steel frame.
NCA’s 2007 nationwide Battle of the Bunnies Survey uncovered that Americans prefer chocolate and candy Easter bunnies to the real deal more than 20-to-one! More so, a whopping 63 percent of Americans say chocolate Easter bunnies are the top Easter morning treat – more than 90 million chocolate bunnies are made in the U.S. for Easter each year. Americans say they are sweet on confectionery bunnies because they:
10. Don’t require bathing
9. Don’t need their toenails clipped
8. Won’t hop out of your Easter basket
7. Don’t shed on your Easter clothes
6. Can’t bite back when you nibble on their ears (76 percent of people eat the ears first on candy bunnies)
5. Can come to the dinner table
4. Can be shared with your friends and family
3. Are easy to travel with (in the car, to school or work)
2. Are always sweet in nature
1. Never require feeding or clean up.
To ensure the Easter Bunny’s treats last past April 8, NCA has developed Treat Smarts: A Guide to Nutrition and Activity, a brochure to help families make a plan to enjoy candy in moderation as part of an active lifestyle. Easter candy fun facts, recipes and the downloadable Treat Smarts brochure can be found at http://www.candyusa.org
