The Origin of Valentine's Day Candies

By Isha Vishwanath, 2027

Published 2/14/2024

Valentine’s Day is the day people around the world celebrate romance, show love to others, and…  eat sweet candy! Candy has consistently been the most popular Valentine’s Day gift because of its varieties and pleasant sugary tastes. But when were they created, and how did they become some of the world's favorite sugary treats?

Tiny, tasty, and tenderhearted Sweethearts candy hearts have become commonplace on Valentine’s Day. However, they have changed considerably since their creation in 1866. Daniel Chase, the inventor credited with creating the treat, developed a machine that could press brief love letters on small, sweet cough drops using liquid food coloring. This process gained fame thanks to his brother’s company, the New England Confectionery Company (NECCO). In 1902, after gradually improving and gaining popularity, the cough drops took the form of heart-shaped candies. People went crazy over the new candy; around eight billion candy hearts (using about 100,000 pounds of sugar) were made that Valentine’s Day, and the entire amount was sold out within six weeks.

Hershey Kisses capture all the love of chocolate addicts on Valentine’s Day. Even though they were introduced in 1907, the origin of the name “Kisses” is still unknown. One theory suggests they were named for the kissing sound the chocolate made while being placed on the manufacturing line. It was not until 1962 that Hershey Kisses started to be wrapped in red and green foil to celebrate Christmas; since 1986, to celebrate Valentine's Day, kisses have been wrapped in pink and red foil!

Lastly, dominating store shelves, kitchen tables, and so-so rom-coms, heart-shaped boxes of chocolates may be the most iconic Valentine’s Day item. On Valentine’s Day in 1861, Richard Cadbury, the son of the Cadbury company’s founder, started selling “fancy” boxes of chocolates to increase sales at the company. It is said that he used drawings of his family and Alpine scenes to decorate them. The popularity of the boxes has grown massively over the years: each year, over 36 million heart-shaped boxes of chocolates are sold around the world!

Every year, Valentine’s Day showcases the absolute best in sweets and chocolates all around the world. While most popular brands opt not to change their already well-liked candy recipes, the future could see improvements and even greater variety in romantic candies. Regardless, one thing is certain: Valentine’s Day candies are not going to be any less addictive anytime soon.