Legends of St. Valentine's Day
There are many legends which surround the origins of St. Valentine's Day, a holiday which has
withstood many depressing eras. The soci-economic forces involved with the holiday have
contributed to its continuity - like lovers of all ages focusing on this bright spot amid the bleakness
of winter, and the suppliers of goods that emphasize the message of affection.
The genesis of St. Valentine's Day is clothed in a number of legends, some of which include the
following:
On February 14, 273 A.D., a Roman priest named Valentine was beheaded by Emperor
Claudius II. The Emperor had outlawed marriages because he felt they decreased the male's zest
for battle Valentine was condemned to death because he ignored the emperor's decrees and
continued to perform marriages for young lovers.
Another St. Valentine (there are reports of up to eight around this time period), was a Roman
martyr who had been jailed. Valentine wrote love letters to his jailer's daughter with the last note
signed, "Your Valentine." Other sources cite this Valentine as restoring the sight of his captor's
daughter.
Some etymologists point to a medieval Norman French word, "gelatin," meaning "a lover of
women" They say it was once written and pronounced with a "v."
ID England, the Romans, who had taken over the country, had introduced a pagan fertility
festival held every February 14. After the Romans left England, nearly a century later, the pagan
ritual was abolished by Pope Gelsius who established St. Valentine's Day as a celebration of love in
496 A.D.
During the Middle Ages, Europeans believed that birds chose their mates each year on
February 14. People developed their own adaptation of this ornithological myth and began the
practice of drawing lots, letting fate decide the names of each person's "Valentine."
Small gifts and sweets were exchanged, and this became a common procedure for the
amorously inclined young men and women of this period.
Ancient Romans celebrated a festival in mid-February called Lupercalia in honor of Lupercus,
the Roman equivalent of the Greek god, Pan. Festivities included a matchmaking ritual in which
young men drew the names of young women, who either became their dancing partners during the
"Rites of Pant or their partner for the year.
The Frenchman, Charles duc d'Orleans, sent lover poems to his wife while he was imprisoned
in the Tower of London on February 14, 1415. These may have been the first written valentines
and, as the ideas caught on, such notes were accompanied by chocolate and other sweets.
The 17th century diarist, Samuel Pepys records that lovers exchanged mementos like gloves,
rings and sweetmeats on St. Valentine's Day. Shakespeare suggested "Sweets to the Sweet" in
Hamlet.
In America, the pilgrims sent confections, such as sugar wafers, marzipan, sweetmeats, and
sugar plums, to their betrothed. Great value was placed on these gifts because they included what
was then a rare commodity, sugar. After the late 1800's sugar beet became widely used and more
available, and sweet gifts continued to be valued and enjoyed.
As the candy-giving custom grew, American colonists made homemade candies with love notes
scratched in the surface. By the mid-nineteenth century, candy-makers were preparing deliciously
flavored sugar lozenges, pressed into hearts and imprinted with words of love — the beginning of
the modern-day conversation heart.
Red and white confections became popular with red representing the "Passion" and white, the
“Purity” of love. By the turn of the century, heart-shaped boxes of chocolate began to appear in the
confectionery shops from coast to coast.
The following facts and trivia embrace America's love of Valentines Day Candy:
Valentines Day is the fourth largest candy-consuming occasion of the year, following
Halloween, Christmas and Easter.
The first Valentines Day candy box was created by Richard Cadbury in 1861.
While women may be the traditional recipients of Valentines Day confectionery, many men say
chocolate is the way to their hearts, too. Forty-eight percent of men ages 18 to 24 reported that
they would rather receive chocolate than flowers, along with 68 percent of men ages 55 and older.
The Monell Institute in Philadelphia ( a non-profit scientific institute devoted to research in
taste, odor and sensory perception) maintains that chocolate is among the most frequently desired
foods, especially by women.
Why do we crave chocolate? Chocolate is thought to boost serotonin levels in the brain, which
in turn may help people feel calm and relaxed.
Chocolate makes our mouths water. The melting point of cocoa butter is just below human
body temperature, which is why chocolate literally melts in your mouth.
Americans consume over 2.8 billion pounds of chocolate each year, more than 11.2 pounds
per person.
Candy and chocolate can fit into a healthy diet. According to Mindy Herman, MBA, RD, "We all
can enjoy our favorite foods and even satisfy cravings." Recent research tells us that eating a
desired food, like chocolate or candy, in moderation will help satisfy cravings and help us avoid
overeating.
A natural aphrodisiac? As an elixir for love, chocolate was thought throughout history to bring
smiles to the broken-hearted and to prompt amorous feelings in both men and women. It is believed
that Madam Du Barry served it to all her suitors; Casanova consumed chocolate instead of
champagne to induce romance, and Montezuma, the king of the ancient Aztecs, believed chocolate
would make him virile. In the 1800's, physicians commonly advised their lovelorn patients to eat
chocolate to calm their pining. For a more clinical answer to the question of chocolate as an
aphrodisiac see the following article!
Phenylethylamine -
Chocolate’s Secret Love
Potion?
There have been reports in the press lately that the phenylethylamine (PEA) that occurs naturally
in chocolate produces an emotional reaction similar to that which a person may experience when
falling in love. The notion stems from an untested hypothesis advanced a few years ago by Dr.
Michael Liebowitz of the New York State Psychiatric Institute. Liebowitz claimed a.) chocolate is
"loaded" with phenylethylamine, a substance that Liebowitz said enhances romantic feelings; b.)
that people eat chocolate in order to experience the euphoric feelings they have when they are in
love.
There are several problems with this hypothesis. The first is that the PEA content of chocolate is
extremely small, especially in comparison with that of some other commonly consumed foods. The
standard 1.5 ounce serving of chocolate (the size of the average chocolate bar) contains less than
1 mg (.21 mg). Obviously, if Dr. Liebowitz's theory were true, people would be eating salami and
cheese in far greater amounts than they are today.
The second problem with the theory has been identified by Dr. Liebowitz himself in his book, The
Chemistry of Love (Berkley Books, 1984), in which he states the following:
"Many people seem to eat chocolate when depressed. Could this be an attempt to raise their PEA
levels? The problem is that PEA present in food is normally quickly broken down by our bodies, so
that it doesn't even reach the blood, let alone the brain. To test the effect of ingesting PEA,
researchers at the National Institute of Mental Health ate pounds of chocolate, and then measured
the PEA levels in their urine for the next few days; the PEA levels didn't budge." (page 100).
Liebowitz concludes that while the hypothesis about the purported links between love and
chocolate have received a lot of press attention, it seems that people eat chocolate for a variety of
reasons, but "not to get a shot of PEA." (pp.177-178).
Reprinted from Retail Confectioners International,
Holiday Bulletin 1998