October 31: Gratitude for Those Who Seek the Sweet Things in Life

Today, I am thankful for the small, sweet things in life.

Frightening as it might seem, we find ourselves closing out October, on the eve of All Hallow’s Day. First celebrated formally on November 1 in 835 AD under the decree of Pope Gregory IV, All Hallow’s Day actually has its roots in the Celtic celebration of Samhain, a day where the spirits of the dead were believed to return to haunt the Earth. In an effort to drive away these evil apparitions, some ancient Celts would dress as demons in animal-skinned costumes. Well, in 1835, the Catholic Church did to Samhain what it did to most pagan holidays - it adopted it into its faith. In this case, the Church christianized the holiday by turning the pagan belief into a commemoration of those loyal souls of all who died in good faith. On this day, Christians would particularly remember those beatified as saints (hence, the reference to All Saints’ Day). Tradition called for mourners to take to the street and ring bells to remember the devoted souls of those moved to the afterlife. By the 15h Century, a custom of baking and sharing ‘soul cakes’ on the evening of All Hallow’s Day came to be. Eventually, All Hallow’s Day evolved to the practice of having children go door-to-door to collect soul cakes (or money) in exchange for prayers for the deceased. Some would dress as ‘saints’ as they carried lanterns of hallowed-out turnips or pumpkins in their nighttime visits to neighboring homes. The religious celebration held firm throughout Europe in many countries, but especially in Scotland and Ireland where the practice of ‘guising’ in costumes rang true from their Celtic past. With the migration of large flocks of Irish & Scottish immigrants to North America in the 19th Century, the ‘guising’ celebration became commonplace in their urban communities, as children dressed in costumes would visit homes in search of food or money. The event was eventually assimilated and adopted in American culture in the first decade of the 20th Century.

However, it was not until the 1930s that the practice of ‘trick-or-treating’ found its formal roots. In the midst of the Great Depression, Hallow’s Eve mischief would often devolve into vandalism or unwelcomed pranks by rambunctious teenagers ‘guised’ in their costumes - that is, of course, unless these hoodlums were warded off with some bribe. Eventually, large communities would bring order by supporting the practice of receiving a ‘sweet’ treat in lieu of an evil ‘trick.’ Naturally, candy would fit the bill.

In my neighborhood outside of Philadelphia, children readily visit homes on Halloween in exchange for some tiny morsel of candy. Yet, for many years, my oldest son refused to go trick-or-treating in our neighborhood, preferring instead an adjacent community for his Halloween escapades. Eventually, I discovered why this was a case. A rumor in elementary school had spread of a benevolent couple that would routinely pass out Hershey Bars in the adjacent neighborhood.

Now, many of you would probably say: “So what? Hershey chocolate bars are a common treat on Halloween.” Well, these magnanimous neighbors would mete out jumbo-sized, 7-ounce Hershey chocolate bars, not the piddly 1.55-ounce version of the Hershey classic. The munificent couple would continue the tradition for years, much to the delight of all my 3 sons. I imagine the couple is probably still at it.

Milton Stanvley Hershey would have been so proud. Born on a farm in Derry Church, Pennsylvania in 1857, Milton was not afforded much education or an enjoyable childhood. After his father split from the family following his multiple failures as a farmer and businessman when Milton was just 10, his mom kept the boy focused by instilling within in him an ethos of diligence and perseverance. At the age of 14, Milton was apprenticed with a renowned confectioner in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, where he mastered the art of candy making. At the age of 19, he would earn enough money to buy his own shop in Philadelphia. Despite five years of dedicated toil to build the business, success eluded Milton, and he was forced to close the shop in 1881.

However, Milton did not give up.

He moved to Denver, Colorado, where he mastered the art of caramel manufacturing. Even so, his second and third commercial ventures as a caramel confectioner in the burgeoning cities of Chicago and New York were also met with little commercial success. So, when he was just 25, Milton returned to Lancaster, Pennsylvania, determined to start anew. By 1886, he garnered enough fiduciary support to start a small business known as the Lancaster Caramel Company. Well, the fourth time was the charm, as his caramel-making skills became widely regarded throughout the Dutch Pennsylvania region.

Despite his growing wealth, Milton believed caramel was really just a passing fad. Witnessing the success of the numerous Swiss chocolate companies that had survived for many centuries, he figured the real money was in chocolate. in fact, while selling caramel at the Chicago International Exposition in 1893, Milton discovered, much to his delight, the tools and technique that could help mass-produce chocolate. He purchased several large machines and had them shipped to Lancaster, where he formed the Hershey’s Chocolate Company and began perfecting the art of manufacturing milk chocolate. As the recipe for ‘Swiss’ chocolate making was a closely held secret not readily shared, Hershey experimented through trial and error for the next 5 years with milk, cocoa, and sugar until he developed the perfect chocolate blend. He released the now famous, 1.55-ounce Hershey’s Chocolate Bar in November 1900. That same year, he sold his caramel business and dedicated all his money towards building a factory for the Hershey’s Chocolate Company in his hometown of Derry Church. In due time, this small farm town would expand and be renamed for its famous son, Hershey. Seven years later, Milton’s new factory rolled out his masterpiece, the Hershey’s Kiss, and instantly Hershey’s became a household name throughout the country.

In due time, the Hershey name would become affiliated with other famous chocolate offerings, such as Almond Joy, Mars, Kit Kat, M&M’s, and Reese’s Peanut Butter cups. So, tonight, after you have tucked your satiated children into bed with a small ‘kiss’ on the cheek, I’d encourage you to rummage through their well-earned stash of candy in search of a different sort of kiss. When you’ve found that small triangular morsel of sweet bliss wrapped in colorful aluminum foil, take a moment to blow a ‘kiss’ to the man who took a chance on a sweet confectionary we love so dearly on Halloween (and every other day).