EVERY February 14 around the world, chocolates, flowers and gifts are exchanged between loved ones, all in the name of St Valentine.
Conversation hearts, truffles galore and heart-shaped boxes of chocolates – these are the symbols of Valentine’s Day for many lovers around the world. While the roots of Valentine’s Day go all the way back to Roman times, sweet gift giving is a much more recent development. Is it because of chocolate’s reputed aphrodisiac qualities, or just a way for sweet companies to sell more sweets. Whatever the reason, those little red boxes filled with sweet treats fly off the shelves each year.
In 1861, Richard Cadbury created the first ever heart-shaped box for Valentine’s Day, thus began the common link between chocolate and the “day of love”, a new tradition had begun.
A FEW FUN SUPPORTING FACTOIDS:
- Modern science has linked the chemical phenylethylamine in chocolate to feelings of excitement, attraction and even pleasure. You can decide that one for yourself;● Though woman make most of chocolate purchases during the year, men make the most purchases for Valentine’s Day and;
- A survey conducted with women indicated that most wanted the chocolate Valentine’s gifts delivered to the home not work and that they would share the treats with their loved ones.
So, fact is that men buy chocolate because it is part of Valentine’s Day tradition and prefer to take it home.
Valentine’s Day is not only a time for lovers and potential lovers, but a time for gift-giving between friends, and family members as well.
14 February is Valentine’s Day so book your meal, order those flowers or buy that box of chocolates and let that person in your life know how much you love them.
