Chocolate Symbolism
Chocolate has always been regarded as a symbol of love and affection. An edible declaration that conveys romance, a token of one's appreciation, and implicated as a sweet gesture. It is also an integral part of our celebratory occasions. On Valentine's Day, a day we dedicate to commemorate love, it is tradition to gift chocolate to your most cherished ones. On anniversaries, chocolate is recognized as the ideal gift to celebrate an ongoing commitment. It is understood to be a luxury item of fondness that marks moments of your journey together. But where did our sentiments of chocolate derive from and why is it associated with love? How was this connection made?
Science claims that our love for chocolate is due to the sensory experience we gain from eating it. It contains the feel good chemical phenethylamine which is produced when we fall in love. This chemical increases the brain's levels of serotonin as well as dopamine, a neurotransmitter that aides us in experiencing pleasure. Although chocolate consists of these substances that stimulate feelings of pleasure, it is not the only reasoning as to why it is correlated with love.
Chocolates's Roots
Our interest for chocolate (or cacao the essential part of chocolate) dates back to ancient history when it was cultivated by the Aztec and Mayan civilizations. They deemed it to be a highly prized luxury item consumed as a drink to those of eminence and the socially elite who believed it to have aphrodisiac properties. It was grown in South America and transported over to Europe in the 18th century as an expensive and luxurious commodity. Presenting this to guests, friends or lovers implicated that you possessed a strong relationship or hoped to strengthen it.
During the 19th century, amidst the reign of Queen Victoria is when chocolate became more accessible to the rest of the general public. Richard Cadbury, the infamous chocolatier from the Cadbury family, desired to create a more appetizing drinking chocolate and came up with edible chocolates that he packaged into decorative boxes. Cadbury was a master marketer and seized this as an opportunity to link with Valentine's Day. He devised the first heart shaped box adorned with symbols of love for the holiday and marketed it as having dual intentions. Once the treats inside the box were eaten, your significant other could use it to fill with sweet mementos and trinkets. Valentine's Day soon moved on to became a commercial phenomenon, and this 150 year old tradition of gifting chocolate to loved ones is still prominent to this day.
Cadbury Started it All
From Cupid to Cadbury, the history of chocolate is engrained with connotations of love. However, it is apparent that the link between chocolate and love has been reinforced by the chocolate manufacturers who have exceedingly profited off of this. According to the National Confectioners Association, U.S consumers will spend around $1 billion for Valentine's Day candy (Koehler, 2017). Valentine's Day alone has emerged as a commercialized holiday that marketers and advertisers can optimize off. Yet, regardless of this occasion, love and romance is an ingenious marketing tactic that emphasizes on spending money and buying gifts to express love. Recognized chocolate brands try to popularize their name by increasing their expenditure on advertising for their products.
Godiva Identifies Romance
A brand like Godiva is a good example of conveying chocolate as a symbol of love. Their products are recognized as high end and luxury compared to other mass market brands; representing the ultimate gift for your significant other. The commercial below targets couples and lovers as we see a gentleman gifting three different women with a box of Godiva chocolates. He meets his assumed lovers and presents an elegant box of chocolates which serve to declare his feelings of desire and romance. The women then retaliate in an approving manner by consuming the chocolates and responding to his romantic gesture in a seductive manner. This story indicates a message of sensuality, allure, and romance, that is a result of gifting your lover with Godiva chocolates; thus they are the best product to illustrate your affections.
Society has a long history with its affections towards chocolate. From a expensive drinking elixir, stimulant inducer, and contributor to one of the most commercialized holidays, chocolate translates more to us than an indulgent treat. It is a symbol that has various intrinsic meanings with love arguably being the most conspicuous.
Cited Sources:
Koehler, Jeff. “How Chocolate Became A Sweet (But Not So Innocent) Consort To Valentine's Day.” NPR, NPR, 14 Feb. 2017, www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2017/02/14/514565105/chocolate-love-s-sweet-but-not-necessarily-innocent-consort.
Chocolate: What is the Love Connection? (2015, December 21). Retrieved from http://www.holidays.net/amore/chocolate.htm
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