Every Valentine’s Day chocolate in all shapes and sizes: loose, bagged, heart-shaped boxes, can be found everywhere. Including in my pantry, in the candy dish, on my plate. Well, you get the picture. I like chocolate. (I indulge year round).
But how did chocolate become associated with Valentine’s Day? And who was Valentine?
While traditions and origin stories may vary, two prevalent tales persist. The first is that of a Catholic priest named, Valentine, who performed wedding ceremonies for soldiers even though Rome had prohibited it. He was subsequently executed around 269 A.D. for defying Emperor Claudius II’s orders. Another relates the story of Bishop Valentine of Terni, who during his imprisonment healed the jailer’s blind daughter. Just before he was martyred, he left the girl a note, “From your Valentine.” In 496 A.D., the Church officially established February 14 as St. Valentine’s Day.
Thereafter, the Saint’s day became associated with love and notes and gifts were exchanged. In the 19th and 20th centuries chocolate became associated with the holiday because it was a symbol of sweetness, indulgence, and sensory pleasure.
Ah, ain’t love grand?!
On the practical side, professional opinions change as to the benefits, or lack thereof, of chocolate.
Dark chocolate in particular is rich in antioxidants and contains iron, zinc, magnesium and potassium among other essential minerals. It improves heart health, brain function, and mood.
And let’s face it. It tastes good. So, what’s not to like about chocolate?
On the down side, chocolate can be high in sugar, saturated fat, and calories. Some of the seeds of the cacao plant, from which chocolate is made, can be contaminated by cadmium and lead from polluted soil.
Therefore, being informed and reading labels is important.
I wonder. Would chocolate have become so popular and associated with love if these two priests had not been martyred?
I suppose that the take away from the story and origin of St. Valentine’s Day is that all things can be enjoyed in moderation. But we should live and love LAVISHLY!
Veronica Jorge
See you next time on March 22nd!
Books Reviewed by Veronica Jorge
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Have you ever wondered why seashells blanket the seashore? Is it the sea that spews some of them out and they wash up on the shore? Or is it the shells themselves that escape and prefer to make their new home in the sand; choosing warm and dry or cool and moist?
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Anniversaries are festive occasions marking milestones and accomplishments. We recount experiences and memories; some sad, but hopefully mostly joyful. We celebrate the depth and richness of our shared lives.
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Every once in a while I daydream about what it would be like to meet some famous individual from the past. And if I did meet them, what would I say? Once we’d get past the introductions, nice to meet you; how’s the weather?, and other such polite niceties, what would I ask them or talk about? Maybe I’d freeze and my mind would go blank transforming me into a banal idiot.
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Hopes and wishes: the stuff that dreams are made of. Remember hoping for the dream boat prom date? Remember hoping for your dream job? How many times have you wished upon a star with all of your heart for something that you truly desired to come true? Or wished that you could slide down the rainbow tasting all of the colors along the ride, and then discover the wonderful world waiting for you at the end?
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In my March 22nd post, As Young As Spring, I mentioned several nature themed books. Today, I’d like to offer a review of one of those titles.
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Featured Books
ROAD TO YOU
Investigative reporter Gemma Wade has been dispatched to her own personal purgatory—small town Marietta, Montana—to write a fluffy, romantic piece about the unprecedented spike in marriages there.
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4 IN THE AFTERNOON
Dates, dogs, football, monsters in the attic, misunderstandings, and unexpected discoveries abound in these four romantic comedy short stories.
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