Halloween

Donald Trump holds up a mask of himself during a rally in Florida in November 2016. Mandel Ngan/AFP/Getty Images hide caption

A squirrel investigates Halloween jack-o'lanterns in Washington, D.C. Analysts say spending for holiday decor, candy and costumes is strong this year. Joe Raedle/Getty Images hide caption

NPR intern Kevin Garcia endures the sour taste of Warheads hard candy. Why are we tempted by candy that pretends to be made of hazardous chemicals, that threatens to nuke our taste buds, or that dares us to be disgusted? Photo illustration by Josh Loock/NPR hide caption

A Pennywise mask from the movie It. Josh Loock/NPR hide caption

Curl's Popcorn Caramel Maggie Kirkland hide caption

A runner passes a ghostly sculpture on display between Bondi Beach and Tamarama Beach in Sydney. Peter Parks/AFP/Getty Images hide caption

A New Orleans Saints fan holds a voodoo doll at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans in 2016. Sean Gardner/Getty Images hide caption

Plague doctors in the 1600s wore birdlike masks like these, which were thought to protect against disease. Manuel Velasco/Getty Images hide caption

The bounty of the earth is celebrated in the high rituals of pagans. (Above) A Wiccan priestess is silhouetted by the afternoon light. In the foreground are examples of Wiccan cooking for the vernal equinox: (clockwise from near right) beet-pickled eggs; roast beef in tarragon; bowl of eggs boiled with onion skin wrap; bread with eggs; Ukrainian painted eggs; and apple crumble. Bernard Weil/Toronto Star via Getty Images hide caption

Women operate a gum-wrapping machine, circa 1923. It was a pivotal decade in the rise of America's retail candy business. Underwood & Underwood/Corbis hide caption