Written By Sam Henselijn
Why Do We Give Chocolates on Valentine’s Day? Chocolates and Valentine’s Day are interconnected with each other. But have you ever wondered why we give chocolates on Valentine’s Day? Not everybody knows the history of the relationship between Valentine’s Day and chocolates, right? But even without knowing that, it’s easy to understand why chocolate is the best way to express your love on Valentine’s Day.
There is simply an allure to chocolate, which, in essence, is exotically romantic. It’s basically an edible declaration of love that makes the receiver feel special and grateful to the giver. A beautiful box of chocolate feels not only special but also heavenly. It melts in your mouth, giving a burst of flavors and melting your heart in bliss. This is maybe the biggest reason why chocolates are the most preferred gift to give on Valentine’s Day to your special one.
In this article, we will go into more depth on the history of chocolates on Valentine’s Day and what makes it special.
The history of chocolate and Valentine’s Day
It’s impossible to go to any kind of retail store in February and not
see displays of pink and red chocolate boxes on every corner. So, how did giving chocolates on Valentine’s Day become a thing?
Chocolates have become a standard Valentine’s Day gift, usually accompanied by flowers and jewelry. But it surely didn’t develop its romantic reputation overnight. Finally, after centuries of myths, marketing, and traditions, chocolate was finally written into Valentine’s Day history.
Why Do We Give Chocolates on Valentine’s Day?
The ones to first connect love and chocolate were the Mayans. Around 500 BCE, they started brewing drinks made from cocoa beans and added that as an important part of Mayan wedding rituals. During weddings, the bride and groom would exchange sips of hot chocolate, which foreshadowed chocolate’s future status as a universal expression of love.
The Mayans had a wholesome view of chocolate, whereas the Aztecs had quite the opposite view of the ingredient. The legend shows that the emperor Montezuma II binged a huge amount of cocoa beans to fuel his romantic affairs. Chocolate does contain small amounts of two chemicals associated with feelings of love and desire, but scientists say there isn’t enough of them to make chocolate a strong aphrodisiac.
What is the effect of the story?
But the stories of chocolate’s effect in the bedroom persisted nonetheless. This might explain why candy-sellers embraced this sweet treat so easily when Valentine’s Day became popular. Chocolate was only restricted to the elite in the 1800s as it was quite expensive. But Cadbury first made it available for people of all classes. It released the first heart-shaped box of chocolates in 1861, which became an instant success. But what made it stand out even more, was the packaging. The box was embellished with cupids and roses appealing more to customers shopping for Valentine’s Day gifts.
Later, the rest of the candy industry started manufacturing similar heart-shaped chocolate boxes like Cadbury’s as they didn’t patent theirs. It didn’t take long before chocolates became synonymous with this newly-commercialized holiday. Now, Valentine’s Day chocolates are exchanged all around the world and are also attached to interesting traditions in some countries. Like in Japan, women have to give “obligation chocolates” to all the men they know on Valentine’s.
Why chocolate for Valentine’s day and not other candies?
So many trends come and go, but what makes chocolate stay so consistent throughout the years? There has to be something special about it that still today, people all around the world give their loved ones a box of chocolate on Valentine’s Day. Aside from the beautiful wrappings and great taste, there are actually a number of reasons why chocolate is exclusively linked with Valentine’s Day.
Chocolate is an aphrodisiac food
Legends say that chocolate contains substances that inflame desire and make one more open to romance. This also resulted in the tradition of European royalty giving their lovers chocolates mixed with amber to stimulate their love.
Chocolate is proven to produce chemicals that elevate the mood, which often equates to feelings of love. The brain’s soothing chemicals released also increases energy and desire levels.
It is “food for the Gods.”
The cocoa tree, where chocolate comes from, is also known as ‘Theobroma cacao,’ which is a Greek way of saying ‘food for the Gods’, so if something is good enough for the Gods, then why not give it to your special ones.
Chocolate affects people’s emotions
Chocolates have a huge physiological and emotional effect on people. So, gifting someone chocolate is not just a way of expressing love but also a way to express delight and initiate desire. You can give it to anyone to uplift their mood, as it’s a powerful mood enhancer.
Chocolate is good for your health
Chocolates can be very beneficial to your health, especially dark ones. Dark chocolates are full of antioxidants and contain chemicals that lower the risk of cancer and heart diseases. Besides, from a health perspective, it improves one’s skin by increasing skin density and hydration. It is also proven to be helpful for improving brain functions.
All in all, chocolate is an all-rounder that not only expresses love but also good for your health. If you want to make it healthier, you can choose from L’Orenta Almond chocolates which have the combined benefits of almonds and chocolate.
Many people like Chocolate
People of every age like Chocolate. Eating chocolate can make you feel as if you have been provided with a break from your daily life. But eating chocolate daily as an excess of anything is certainly not good for you. But you can definitely substitute your cravings with L’Orenta Cashew bridge mix and milk chocolate almonds. And Valentine’s Day is there for you to fully enjoy the chocolate taste.
Hopefully, this article gives you some insight why we give chocolates on Valentine’s Day.
Sam Henselijn Author’s Biography – Meet L’Orenta Nuts CEO
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