December 02, 2020
National Chocolate Candy Day 2020
National Chocolate Candy Day is a day of celebration for chocolate lovers all across the country. In the United States, National Chocolate Candy Day is celebrated on December 28, just three days after Christmas. So, if you tend to accumulate a collection of chocolate candies over the holidays, now you’ll have an excuse to finish them off!
In addition to holiday chocolates, you can celebrate the day by purchasing a variety of other chocolate treats and sharing them with friends and loved ones. It’s the perfect way to keep your holiday spirits up right after Christmas and spoil yourself before you make any New Year’s resolutions.
If you couldn’t tell by now, this article is going to be all about chocolate — we’ll go over what National Chocolate Day is, how to celebrate it, and the history of chocolate itself. So make some hot cocoa or start unwrapping your favorite chocolate bar and get ready to learn all about one of the world’s most beloved treats and the day that celebrates it. Read on for a thorough overview of National Chocolate Day.
National Chocolate Candy Day
Did you know that in addition to the major holidays in this country, there are hundreds of national days, weeks, and months dedicated to different people, topics, and items? From National Fried Clams Day to Squirrel Appreciation Day, there’s seemingly a day for everything. Thus, it makes sense that there’s a designated day to recognize and celebrate chocolate candy.
So, when is National Chocolate Candy Day? December 28th! Giving you just enough time to indulge before you need to commit to your New Year’s resolutions—like kicking sugar to the curb for a month or two.
It’s worth noting, too, that National Chocolate Day isn’t the only chocolate-themed holiday in existence. In the United States alone, we also celebrate:
National Chocolate Cake Day (January 27)
National Hot Chocolate Day (January 31)
National Dark Chocolate Day (February 1)
National Chocolate Ice Cream Day (June 7)
National Chocolate Chip Cookie Day (August 4)
And much more!
Additionally, many countries have their own national chocolate celebrations that fall on different dates throughout the year. There’s even World Chocolate Day, a global celebration of chocolate that occurs on July 7th.
FUN FACT: 70 million Hershey’s Kisses are made every day.
What is National Chocolate Candy Day?
National Chocolate Candy Day is exactly what it sounds like — it’s a day to appreciate, purchase, and consume chocolate candies of all varieties. It’s celebrated on December 28 each year, just following Christmas.
Spend the day eating the holiday chocolates you got in your Christmas stocking this year or exchanging chocolate gifts with those around you. If you want to celebrate with your health in mind, then try picking up some dark chocolate. How healthy is dark chocolate? It’s packed with nutrients and antioxidants that can help you stay healthy and active.
Remember that, more than anything, National Chocolate Candy Day is a time to kick back, relax, and treat yourself.
FUN FACT: Every American eats an average of 12 pounds of chocolate each year.
How to Observe Chocolate Candy Day?
This should probably go without saying, but the #1 way to celebrate National Chocolate Candy Day is to eat chocolate candy! Consume as much chocolate as you want, guilt-free — it’s a holiday after all, so you have the perfect excuse to snack on chocolate to your heart’s content.
As with almost any holiday, National Chocolate Candy Day is more enjoyable when you get others to join in on the fun. Try exchanging tasty chocolate gifts with friends and loved ones or take some chocolate into work to share with all of your coworkers. Some of the other ways you can celebrate National Chocolate Candy Day include:
Hosting a chocolate tasting party. A chocolate tasting party is a fun way for you and your friends to get together and sample different kinds of chocolate. It could serve as an opportunity to try unique chocolate candies that you wouldn’t usually buy. And, while you’re at it, why not try out some high-end gourmet chocolates as well?
Ordering chocolate-filled gift baskets. When it comes to decadent chocolate gift baskets and tasty candy bouquets, ProFlowers has got you covered. Just order online and we’ll ship your favorite chocolate candies right to your door!
Sending chocolates and flowers by mail. Mailing a friend or family member a beautiful floral arrangement paired with a box of assorted chocolates is a surefire way to put a smile on their face.
FUN FACT: Whitman’s produced their first box of chocolates in 1842.
National Candy Day History
National Chocolate Candy Day doesn’t just take place due to our nationwide adoration of chocolate candies (although that is a big reason for celebrating the day). The holiday also pays homage to the rich history of chocolate production over time, and brings attention to the ways in which chocolate is closely linked to so many different cultures around the world.
From the ancient Aztec capital city of Tenochtitlan to the International Space Station, chocolate has transcended culture and time to take its place as one of the world’s favorite treats. So, to understand National Chocolate Candy Day, we first must look at the history of chocolate itself.
FUN FACT: In 1875, John Cadbury introduced the first chocolate egg, which became the popular treat we know and love today.
History of Chocolate
Chocolate is derived from the fruit of cacao trees native to Central and South America. The trees hold pods of cacao beans, which can be dried and roasted to create cocoa beans. Cacao has been cultivated for at least 3,000 years, with the earliest documented use of cacao seeds dating all the way back to around 1100 BC.
The written history of the Mayan civilization discusses chocolate drinks being used in celebrations and other important events. In many Mayan households, chocolate was served with almost every meal, and combined with other ingredients, such as chili peppers, honey, or water.
The Aztecs went even further than the Mayans in their love for chocolate, believing cacao to be a gift given to them by their gods. The Aztecs created chocolate drinks by grounding up cacao beans and adding them to water, then drank them for religious reasons. Since they didn’t add any sugar to the concoction, these chocolate drinks would’ve tasted much more earthy and bitter than the sweetened chocolate drinks that many of us are used to. This is illustrated by the fact that the word “chocolate” comes from the Aztec word “xocolatl”, which translates to “bitter water”.
In addition to creating chocolate drinks like the Mayans, the Aztecs also used cacao beans as currency to buy food and other commodities. In Aztec culture, cacao beans were considered more precious than gold and, for the most part, chocolate was considered a luxury reserved for the upper classes. The Aztec ruler Montezuma II supposedly drank multiple gallons of chocolate every day, believing it to be both an energy supplement and aphrodisiac.
FUN FACT: The first chocolate bar was produced in 1847 when the British chocolate company J.S. Fry & Sons combined cocoa butter, chocolate liquor, and sugar together.
After expeditions in Central and South America, Spanish conquistadors like Hernán Cortés returned to their country with cacao beans and, by the 1500s, members of the Spanish court were consuming chocolate. As other European countries began to explore Central America, they discovered chocolate as well, and it began to spread across Europe. However, Europeans didn’t enjoy the bitter taste of the traditional Aztec chocolate drink, so they began adding sugar and other spices to make sweet drinks, similar to hot chocolate.
Still, it took a few more big innovations before we ended up with the kind of chocolate we have today. One of the biggest of these innovations occurred in 1828, when the Dutch chemist Coenraad Van Houten formulated a method for turning cacao beans into a powder that could be easily mixed with water. He invented a hydraulic press capable of separating the cocoa butter from the cacao and producing cocoa powder. This made it possible to get chocolate into a physical form and led to the first chocolate confections.
Then, about 50 years later in 1879, Rodolphe Lindt invented the conching machine, which gave chocolate the smooth, creamy consistency we’re familiar with today, and this helped contribute to the mass production of chocolate around the world.
FUN FACT: The word chocolate first appeared in print, in England, in 1604.
Why Is Chocolate Day Celebrated?
We celebrate National Chocolate Candy Day because chocolate candies are loved by people from all over the world. It’s pretty remarkable to think that now, around 3,000 years after cacao beans were first cultivated by humans, chocolate has become one of the most enjoyed sweets around the world. As of 2019, many experts estimate that the global chocolate industry generates more than $100 billion in annual sales.
But we also celebrate National Chocolate Candy Day because, in many ways, chocolate has become intertwined with American history and culture. The United States and chocolate have actually been linked together since the very beginnings of the country. During the American Revolutionary War, for instance, chocolate was included in soldiers’ rations and, in some cases, chocolate was even given to soldiers in lieu of wages.
Nearly two centuries later, chocolate was present for another national crisis: World War II. In 1937, the U.S. Army approached the Hershey Company and asked them to produce a high-energy chocolate bar designed for soldiers’ emergency rations. Hershey’s came up with the “D ration bar” and American soldiers carried these when they stormed the beaches of Normandy on D-Day in 1944. Hershey’s later produced other chocolate for wartime rations, such as the “Tropical bar”, which was designed to withstand the high temperatures in the Pacific Theater.
The country’s love of chocolate is so great, that we even took it with us in the earliest stages of space exploration. American astronauts carried chocolate desserts — such as hot chocolate, pudding, and brownies — with them on the Apollo space missions of the 1960s and ‘70s. M&Ms in particular have become part of the staple menu for astronauts traveling to the International Space Station (ISS).
With such a sweet taste and rich history, it’s no wonder we celebrate National Chocolate Candy Day. It’s an occasion where we can indulge in sweets and consider the often overlooked history of one of the world’s favorite desserts.
FUN FACT: In 2000, the largest chocolate bar ever made, weighing over 5,000 pounds, was produced in Turin, Italy.
Wrapping Up
If you’re a chocolate lover, then National Chocolate Candy Day is for you. Since it’s celebrated at a time when the holiday season is coming to a close, take it as one more opportunity to spoil yourself before making any New Year’s fitness resolutions. Get together with friends and family to relax, eat sweets, and exchange chocolatey gifts.
You can even celebrate National Chocolate Candy Day with someone far away by sending them something for the occasion. Here at ProFlowers, we’ll deliver chocolates, flowers, and other gifts right to their doorstep for you!
Sending gifts is an easy way to surprise someone you care about and lift their spirits, even if it’s just a small gesture. Plus who doesn’t like getting a delicious chocolate gift? So, be sure to take a look at our website and browse our wide selection of chocolates and flowers for delivery this holiday season.