Happy Valentine's Day: Knowing History This Day Celebrates with Chocolate
- vstory
Jakarta – Valentine’s Day on February 14 usually offers lovers many ways to express their emotions and love. On this week, couples around the world celebrate by showing appreciation for the person they love and adore.
On Valentine's Day, people exchange gifts to show their affection towards their partners - chocolates, flowers, or perhaps something sentimental.
Some individuals opt for a romantic dinner date to celebrate their loved ones, while others prefer to mark the occasion in their own unique way. Many of us express our feelings on Valentine's Day by presenting greeting cards, chocolates, roses, and jewelry to that special someone.
But why chocolate as one of the favorite ways to show love on Valentine's Day?
Compiled from various sources, one reason is the romantic allure of chocolate. Chocolate is often regarded as a sweet and indulgent symbol of love because of its smooth texture and sweet taste.
This may be the main reason why chocolate is the best gift for Valentine's Day.
Over the years, chocolate has been used as a symbol of seduction. In Jean Harlow's appearance in the 1933 film Dinner at Eight, chocolate was associated with extravagance and luxury. She reclined on heart-shaped pillows in bed wearing satin and sequins, with the finishing touch of a box of chocolates.
The Smithsonian says that the history of chocolate truly shows that it is a food of love. Chocolate has a history in the United States.
Among the upper classes of the Maya and Aztecs, chocolate, a beverage made from roasted cocoa beans mixed with corn flour, vanilla, and honey, was considered highly valuable.
Ilustrasi cokelat.
- Pexels/Anete Lusina
The love for chocolate spread throughout Europe in the early 16th century. Chocolate houses began to compete with coffee houses as social gathering places in London.
In 1657, one shop on Gracechurch Street opened its doors by advertising chocolate as a West Indian beverage that cured and protected the body from many diseases.
Private chocolatiers were brought to Versailles when Marie Antoinette married Louis XVI in 1770. She made chocolate with orchid bulbs for strength, chocolate with orange blossoms considered to be soothing, or sweet almond milk to aid digestion.
Madame de Sevigne wrote about the abundance of chocolate consumed at Versailles in 1671 in France; Louis IV drank chocolate every day, and Madame du Barry used chocolate and amber to increase desire.
Technological advancements during Victoria's reign as Queen in 1837 transformed Valentine's Day into a major business event.
