How chocolate became tied to Valentine’s Day – Heart-shaped boxes filled with decadent treats are coveted gifts on Valentine’s Day. Chocolate lovers typically have a favorite type of chocolate, whether it’s creamy filled truffles or chocolate pieces with fruit or nut fillings. There is an old saying you cannot go wrong with chocolate. It is a girl’s best friend. Well unless you are allergic to chocolate of course.

How Chocolate Became Tied to Valentine’s Day

The tradition of gifting chocolate is anything but new. Chocolate and other sweet treats have been offered for centuries as prized gifts. Even ancient Aztecs and Mayans celebrated chocolate and saw it as a hot commodity. Drinks made of cacao beans would be given as presents to people of high status. Chocolate also would be offered to the gods as a token of appreciation. Cacao beans were even used as a form of currency at one point.

This Valentine’s Day have a heart and spare the chocolates!

Chocolate consumption grew

During the 17th century, chocolate consumption grew considerably across Europe. Chocolate houses cropped up in London, and the French elite often indulged in chocolate. Chocolate’s popularity continued to grow, but the dessert was not linked to Valentine’s Day until nearly 200 years later. In the mid-1800s, an enterprising individual named Richard Cadbury was looking for a way to make chocolate even more popular than it already was. He sought out a method to make drinking chocolate more palatable and created “eating chocolates.” These chocolates were packaged in decorative boxes. Eventually, Cadbury saw the benefit of putting images of cupids and roses on the boxes. Cadbury even designed chocolate boxes in the shape of hearts that could be saved as mementos. These chocolates soon became intertwined with Valentine’s Day celebrations.

Milton Hershey

On the other side of the Atlantic, Milton Hershey dabbled in commercializing chocolate as well. Hershey began as a caramel maker, but experimented with covering the caramels in chocolate in 1894. Hershey would go on to develop one of the most successful brands of chocolate in the United States, which included the famous Hershey bar. In 1907, Hershey launched production of tear-drop shaped “kisses.” (The chocolates were given their unusual name because of the “smooching” noise made by the chocolate when being manufactured.) The kisses became wildly popular and made for affordable chocolate gifts on Valentine’s Day.

Other Chocolate Manufacturers

Many other chocolate manufacturers soon began packaging their chocolates in special boxes for Valentine’s Day. Russell Stover and Whitmans are two such manufacturers who have long specialized in heart-shaped boxes or other decorative Valentine’s gifts.

Giving Chocolate on Valentine’s Day

Traditionally, men have gifted women with boxes of chocolate for Valentine’s Day. However, that role is reversed in other areas of the world. For example, Japan, women give gifts – namely chocolates – to the men in their lives to express love, courtesy or social obligation. This tradition first began in 1936 when confectioner Morozoff Ltd. ran the first-ever Valentine’s Day ad in Japan through a local English newspaper. By the 1950s, other Japanese confectioners were following suit. Even South Korea the women give men chocolates too.  Check out Valentine’s Day Traditions from Around the World to see how other countries celebrate Valentine’s Day.

Chocolate has long been tied to Valentine’s Day gifting. Whether one believes that chocolate symbolizes heightened status, acts as an aphrodisiac or is just a special treat, chocolates will likely always be associated with the day of love. Chocolate has been considered a special gift for centuries. It became linked to Valentine’s Day in the 1800s. Did you know? Fifty-eight million pounds of chocolate candy is purchased during the week of Valentine’s Day when the National Confectioners Association says 36 million heart-shaped boxes of chocolate are sold.

Did you know October 28 of each year is National Chocolate Day

Learn about the types of choclate

Check out these Valentine Related Blog Post:

Below are some Valentine Blog posts you might want to check out. Check back often, as this list may be added to.

1. 40+ Christian Pick Up Lines
2. A-Z of Valentine’s Day
3. Candy Hearts, Popular candies share sweet words of love
4. Colors of Valentine’s Day
5. Happy Valentine’s Day
6. Hearts and Valentine’s Day are forever intertwined
7. Heart-Shaped Chocolate Box and its Sewing Origins
8. History of Kissing
9. How Chocolate Became Tied to Valentine’s Day
10. How did “XO” come to symbolize kisses and hugs?
11. Origins of the Heart-Shaped Chocolate Box
12. Penny Date
13. Purse Puzzles
14. Types of Chocolates
15. Valentine in John 3:16
16. Valentine’s Day Traditions from Around the World
17. Valentine’s Day Quiz Printable
18. Who is St. Valentine?
19. Why is Valentine’s Day Celebrated on February 14th?

_{Article compliments of Metro Creative. TF172766}  

First published 0n February of 2017. Last updated or republished January 13, 2024.

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About the Author

Steve Patterson

A Christian Blogger that enjoys blogging about the Bible, Theology, God, Jesus Christ, Christian Music, Family, Cats, Odd Holidays, sewing and much more. I have been blogging since 2004, however, I have been blogging on Courageous Christian Father since 2012. I enjoy listening to Christian Music. I am married with 1 daughter, 2 step-sons and a step daughter.

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