Valentine's Day Candy

Valentine's Day Candy & Heart Candy for Your Party or Gift Exchange

Candy has always been a part of Valentine's Day, isn't that so?

Well, not exactly. But it does have a long history.

Valentine's Day dates to 496; sugar was first recorded in England in 1099, 603 years later, when returning crusaders introduced the "new spice" of sugar to Europe.

The observance of Valentine's Day stems from the martyrdom of St. Valentine, who secretly performed marriages for Roman soldiers against the wishes of the emperor. Emperor Claudius quite naturally disapproved of Valentine's clandestine service for soldiers and had him arrested. Ironically, Claudius took a liking to Valentine as he languished in prison, and it was only after Valentine attempted to convert Claudius to Christianity – no rest for the incarcerated – that Valentine punched his ticket to the afterlife. We'll skip the gruesome details, lest they spoil your appetite for candy, the eventual topic of this footer.

The busy Valentine was not only proselytizing; he had fallen for the jailer's daughter and passed a love note to her. This later became the inspiration for the oldest tradition of Valentine's Day: exchanging notes of affection. No candy accompanied the message, because, as mentioned, all this activity transpired hundreds of years before the introduction of sugar to Europe. 

Over the years, exchanged messages on Valentine's Day grew into the exchange of small gifts as well; hopeful suitors discovered that candy was the perfect small gift. At first, only wealthy nobles could afford sugar, but by the 18th century, it had become plentiful and relatively cheap, not just in Europe but also in the New World. In America, Valentine's Day candy was being mass produced by the mid-19th century. The second great Valentine's Day tradition had been born. 

Valentine's Day Candy in America: A Timeline

Candy Hearts: In 1866, Daniel Chase developed a machine that could print food dye letters on heart-shaped candy lozenges, which later evolved into the candy hearts familiar to us today. Even now, candy hearts are the best-selling Valentine's Day candy.

Hershey's Kisses: No one's sure how kisses got their name, but it may have been from the kissing sound the soft chocolate made when it dropped onto the conveyor belt. These popular chocolates were introduced in 1907. Valentine's Day kisses are wrapped in red foil, red being the signature color of the holiday.

Heart-Shaped Boxes of Chocolates: We can thank Richard Cadbury for the innovation of heart-shaped boxes for Valentine's Day chocolates, first sold in 1861. The fancy boxes became so widely accepted that to the modern shopper, it's almost unthinkable to present Valentine's Day chocolates in anything but a red heart-shaped box.

Does Party City offer these Valentine's Day candies? Yes, we certainly do! These candies and more.

More Valentine's Day Candy at Party City

Valentine's Day Candy Cards: Giant cards – and we do mean giant – leave plenty of room for a message of love or well-wishing. Enough room that you can print the Gettysburg Address in big block letters, if that indeed is the message you wish to the convey. A clear plastic inset holds a pair of enormous chocolate lips wrapped in red foil. Subtle, ain't it? Perhaps the most astonishing thing about these candy cards, other than their impressive size, is the fact that they cost only slightly more than standard greeting cards sold at the drug store.

Friendship Exchange Candy: This is a logical extension of the Valentine's Day exchange cards so popular with children. Party packs of friendship exchange candy contain smaller packs of assorted candy that kids can share with their pals and schoolmates. Exchange candy can complement a set of exchange cards or completely replace them. The choice is yours.

Specialty Valentine's Day Candy: Chocolate roses, in singles or as a bouquet of potted roses, are examples of specialty candy, which is geared toward adults more than children. For kids, we offer favor candy, the next item in this list.

Favor & Novelty Candy: This includes Valentine's Day Candy with fancy dispensers, like wands or mini-fans, miniature candy sold in favor boxes, and familiar candy favorites with specially designed Valentine's Day packaging.

Candy Value Packs & Bulk Candy: For parties and large events for children, value packs and bulk bags give the most candy for your dollar. All candy is individually wrapped, which is always a good idea when unwashed hands may be reaching into the display jar.

Valentine's Day Candy Buffet Candy: Should you decide to go for broke with a red, pink, and white Valentine's Day candy buffet, we offer all supplies for the endeavor, from the candy itself to display jars and boxes, candy scoops, labels, and candy bags.