It’s September 1, which means one thing — it’s officially socially acceptable to be excited about Halloween! 

While America enters its second pandemic Halloween, consumers are anxious for an escape and something to celebrate. So while it’s unclear how, exactly, they’ll celebrate, one thing is certain — they’ll be reaching for candy.

And the National Confectioners Association has revealed Americans’ favorite treats for the 2021 Halloween season.

In a national online survey, the NCA found that Americans’ favorite kind of Halloween candies are

First Place: Chocolate

Second Place: Gummy Candy

Third Place: Classic Candy Corn

And while there is some debate about the best way to enjoy candy corn, most Americans say they enjoy the whole piece of candy corn at once (52 percent), while about a third (31 percent) start at the narrow white end, and 17 percent start with the wider yellow end.

American also said they  prefer chocolate (60 percent) to non-chocolate (40 percent) in their trick-or-treat pumpkins.

Some additional fun facts for the Halloween season:

• 82 percent of people – and 93 percent of young parents – plan to celebrate Halloween this year.
• 80 percent of Americans plan to trick-or-treat in 2021.
• 82 percent of people are confident they will find safe and creative ways to celebrate the Halloween season.
• 79 percent of Americans say they plan to fill a Halloween candy bowl this season.

For more information on navigating the Halloween season, visit AlwaysATreat.com/Halloween for Halloween inspiration, including safety tips, fun facts and suggestions on how to celebrate in safe and creative ways. And since 83 percent of parents believe that chocolate and candy are an important and fun part of celebrations like Halloween, there are also plenty of tips to help parents talk about balanced treating with their children.

To join the conversation on social media, use #HowWeHalloween and follow NCA on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.