The History Behind Our Favorite Valentine's Day Treats (2024)

FAQs

What is the history of Valentine chocolates? ›

Heart-Shaped Boxes of Chocolates: Richard Cadbury, son of Cadbury founder John Cadbury, created 'fancy' boxes of chocolates to increase sales. He used drawings of his family and Alpine scenes to decorate them. In 1861, he created the first heart-shaped box of chocolates for Valentine's Day.

The history of conversation hearts dates back to 1847, but their origin story is not what you'd expect. The machine used to make the candies was initially invented to create medicine. Boston-based Pharmacist Oliver Chase developed the lozenge cutter to industrialize the formation of apothecary lozenges.

Valentine's Day did not come to be celebrated as a day of romance until about the 14th century. Although there were several Christian martyrs named Valentine, the day may have taken its name from a priest who was martyred about 270 ce by the emperor Claudius II Gothicus.

The holiday we know today got its name from a man named Valentine. While a few different stories are told about what he did to inspire the holiday, many people believe he's celebrated for his role as a Roman priest who helped couples secretly get married.

Turns out, it was a pretty common name during Late Antiquity. As far as anyone can tell, the Saint Valentine of Valentine's Day was one of two guys preaching the good word in Rome in the third century. One of these two was martyred on February 14th 269, thus giving us the date for his eponymous day.

It is seen as a thoughtful and adventurous way to express love and affection, representing sweetness, appreciation, and the desire to please one's beloved. For many people, chocolate is associated with pleasure and indulgence.

Conversation Hearts Are the Most Popular Valentine's Day Candy in the U.S. After a bit of a slump, conversation hearts are back on top of the list of most-purchased Valentine's Day candies, according to new data.

The Aztecs also linked chocolate with love and desire, believing that it was an aphrodisiac. Though modern science does not support this theory, it nonetheless persisted in the Americas and Europe, helping cement chocolate's reputation as a lover's treat.

One of the earlier Swizzels launches was Love Hearts, invented by David Dee. They were first produced in 1954.

Sweethearts (also known as conversation hearts) are small heart-shaped sugar candies sold around Valentine's Day. Each heart is printed with a message such as "Be Mine", "Kiss Me", "Call Me", "Let's Get Busy", or "Miss You".

What is the dark origin of Valentine's day? ›

One Valentine was a priest in third-century Rome who defied Emperor Claudius II after the ruler outlawed marriage for young men. St. Valentine would perform marriages in secret for young lovers, ultimately leading to his death.

What are the Valentine's Day colors? Pop into any flower shop or even a festive hotel or restaurant and there's no arguing that red, white, and pink are the official colors of Valentine's Day.

The oldest known Valentine still exists today as a poem written by Charles Duke of Orleans to his wife while he was imprisoned in the Tower of London following his capture at the Battle of Agincourt. The greeting that was written in 1415 is part of the manuscript collection at the British Library in London.

The 8th-century Gelasian Sacramentary recorded the celebration of the Feast of Saint Valentine on February 14. The day became associated with romantic love in the 14th and 15th centuries, when notions of courtly love flourished, apparently by association with the "lovebirds" of early spring.

While the date is meant to honor Saint Valentine's death and burial, which supposedly occurred in mid-February around 270 AD, some historians believe the date could reflect the Catholic Church's attempt to replace the ancient Pagan celebration of Lupercalia — a fertility festival for the pagan agricultural god Faunus — ...

While imprisoned, Valentine cared for his fellow prisoners and also his jailor's blind daughter. Legend has it that Valentine cured the girl's blindness and that his final act before being executed was to write her a love message signed 'from your Valentine'. Valentine was executed on 14 February in the year 270.

According to NPR, Emperor Claudius II of Rome executed two different men named Valentine on February 14 (in two different years) during the third century. One account of St. Valentine says that he was a priest who was arrested for defying a Roman decree that forbade soldiers from marrying.

In I Corinthians 10:19-21, the apostle Paul compares mixing paganism with Christianity—syncretism—to worshipping demons. This principle includes giving one's time or interest to things of pagan origin. As an example, the Bible neither mentions nor espouses Valentine's Day or its practices.

Some believe Valentine's Day is celebrated on February 14 because that is when Saint Valentine was killed or buried. Others claim the date has to do with the ancient Roman feast of Lupercalia, which was a days-long celebration that would start on February 13 and end on February 15.

In a more literal sense, red is the color of blood that pumps through our hearts, which represents love and passion and romance. Additionally, red was the first color to be linked with Valentine's Day at Lupercalia in Rome, an ancient pagan festival held each year on February 15.

What does giving chocolate to a girl mean? ›

Chocolate has been associated with love and desire largely because of its delicious taste and its ability to delight the senses. In addition, it is believed that certain compounds in cocoa, such as phenylethylamine, can produce feelings of euphoria and happiness, which has reinforced its link to romantic emotions.

Chocolates are synonymous with love, pleasure, and tenderness, symbolizing the sweet moments shared between individuals. Gifting chocolates on Chocolate Day is a gesture of love and appreciation, strengthening bonds and creating lasting memories.

Red roses, for instance, typically represent love and romance and have been a powerful symbol of passion for many cultures through the ages. The rose was sacred to a number of goddesses including Isis of Egypt, and the ancient Greeks and Romans identified the rose with their goddesses of love, Aphrodite and Venus.