Valentine's Day Is Also National Chocolate Day In This Country
Is there anything quite as exciting as picking through the empty wrappers in a heart-shaped box to discover the last piece of chocolate-y perfection just waiting to be devoured? Chocolate companies certainly hope not, and according to one survey, sales are looking good this year. In an interview with Candy Industry, Ferrero confirmed the company worked with research platform Suzy to conduct a survey on shoppers' anticipated purchases for this Valentine's Day, and the results were sweet, indeed. The survey found that nearly 80% of respondents said they planned on buying candy for the holiday.
Gifting candy has been a longstanding tradition in the United States, and now there is even a visual reference to show which state is buying what types of candy. Judging by Candy Store's interactive map, from Utah's love of Hershey Kisses to Vermont's affection for M&M's, there is no shortage of chocolate lovers throughout the country. While it may seem like Valentine's Day should be National Chocolate Day here in the States, it actually is in one country.
Valentine's Day is National Chocolate Day in Ghana
Love isn't only in the air in America. According to Woman's Day, countries throughout the world celebrate Valentine's Day, including a long list of vacation-worthy destinations like Argentina, France, Wales, Denmark, and Brazil. While we don't exactly know how to say "I love you" in Portuguese, we do know how to show affection in Ghana on Valentine's Day — with chocolate. As Xinhua Net points out, since 2007, Ghana's National Chocolate Day — February 14, Valentine's Day — promotes the consumption of chocolate in Ghana, and that is certainly a promotion we can get on board with.
But why promote indulging in chocolate for just one day, when you can promote it for an entire week? According to Voyages Afriq, the day-long celebration was turned into a week-long event in 2021 with the introduction of Ghana's National Chocolate Week. The week includes chocolate-themed attractions, according to Business Ghana, including two "chocolate cities" where chocolatiers can show off their chocolate and cocoa goods. The African country is, after all, one of the world's biggest producers of cocoa (via Bloomberg). If you can't quite swing a trip to Ghana in time for this year's celebration but want to try some of the country's chocolate, you can find '57 Chocolate, which is made in Accra, Ghana, by two sisters, online at The Social Goods Marketplace.