Valentine's Day - The Sweetest Day on Earth

Every February 14, across the United States and around the world, candy, flowers and gifts are exchanged between loved ones all in the name of Saint Valentine. Every year American spend upwards of $15.7 billion dollars on this holiday of love. Wrapping up one's affections in a heart-shaped box tied with a red bow has been a common Valentine's Day practice since the late 19th century, but chocolate's a relatively recent addition to this celebration of love. Before the invention of affordable, mass-produced chocolates, most couples made do with an array of other sugary confections, including marshmallows, candied nuts, jellied fruit, honey, butterscotch chips, caramels, toffee and pound cakes. For most of our history chocolate was for the wealthy that was until Milton Hershey began mass producing chocolate bars in 1895. That was all it took to make chocolate the official candy of Valentine's Day.

Chocolate once believed to be an aphrodisiac by the Aztecs has become a staple as a Valentine's Day gift. Now a day's Americans buy an upwards of fifty-eight million pounds of this delicious confection. With so many types of chocolate out there it's hard to find the best one. Many chocolate companies boost the best chocolates in the world but who truly tops the list.

Christopher Norman Chocolates has distinctive line of boxed collection, hand painted and the perfect sculptural truffles, that uses the finest all natural ingredients. This New York based chocolate company is one of the best in the United States. Lake Champlain Chocolate another United States based company produces some truly delicious gourmet chocolates. This Vermont based company uses the wonderful flavors of the state in producing sweet indulgences.

Richart Paris a French chocolatier started this wonderful French company in late 1925. Now two generations later, they still seek the finest cocoa in the world to produce amazing chocolate confection.

Perhaps boxed chocolates aren't what you had in mind. Chocolate dipped strawberries can be delivered right to your girlfriend or wife's front door and chocolates wrapped to look like a rose are readily available all over the world. The newest thing to hit the chocolate scene as a Valentine's Day gift is fudge. Fudge gift baskets are the perfect new gift for your loved one. With so many new and exciting chocolates coming on the market each day boxed chocolate may soon become thing of the past but chocolate will always be a huge part of our Valentine's tradition.

Brenda Hopkins writes for Wholesale Favors about Personalized Valentine's Day Gifts and Gift Ideas and gives advice on Fudge Gift Baskets.