🇮🇳 CHOCOLATE Day in INDIA 2026 – Feb 9

💑 CHOCOLATE Day in INDIA ORIGIN & HISTORY

Today most people associate chocolate as a delicious, decadent, sweet treat. Holidays that have popularized chocolate are Valentine’s, Easter, Halloween, Day of the Dead, Hanukkah, Diwali, and Christmas. A long list to be sure, but what about chocolate receiving due credit by having its own holiday? In India, CHOCOLATE Day is celebrated on the 9th day in February and that kicks off chocolate gift-giving which starts several days before VALENTINE’s Day. Chocolate is thought to be a sign that the gift giver wants to work on mending or initiate a desire to fix a bitter relationship with something sweet. It says to the recipient I’m sorry I want to work our problems out.

Other days to LOVE that are part of the VALENTINE Week celebration include TEDDY Day, among others.

Archaeologists, biologists, and anthropologists have studied the significance of chocolate dating back 3900 years ago in Mesoamerica and its importance. Back then chocolate served different purposes to different cultures. The Olmecs seem to use it for religious tradition, Mayans used chocolate in abundance and would often flavor it with chilis, sweeten it with honey, and put it in water. It was used heavily in the Mayan diet to add flavor to almost every meal. Aztecs used it for stamina and energy because chocolate has the compound theobromine. They regarded chocolate just as much as gold-pressed latinum. Montezuma II liked it.

In the 1500s chocolate made its way to Spain but the exact story of how and when is not entirely clear. The people who thought responsible for the European chocolate craze were Christopher Columbus, Hernan Cortez, and King Philip II.

In 1642 chocolate made its way to the United States. By 1682 allegedly there was the first chocolate house established in Boston. Chocolate was a major import since 1773. Everyone from the poorer classes to high society had developed an appreciation for chocolate. Often soldiers during the revolutionary war received chocolate instead of money for their service. During WWII, soldiers again were offered rations of chocolate.

In 1828 Dutch process cocoa was invented by chemist Coenraad Johannes van Houten. He treated cocoa beans with alkaline salts. This made chocolate into a powder that could be readily sweetened and mixed with water. Hot cocoa became a popular beverage in the 1800s. It was JS Fry and Sons who would both make the first chocolate bar and later partner with friend Henri Nestlé which would become Nestlé, the Swiss conglomerate.

Rudolf Lindt invented conching because prior to this act eating chocolate was a chewy experience. Conching aerates and mixes chocolate which makes chocolate creamy. By the late 19th-century and early 20th-century Nestlé, Cadbury, Hershey, and Mars all used the Lindt methods for conching.

Chocolate today is highly refined and there is a lot of sugar and other sweeteners added to the mixture. It does taste good, especially Reeses but visiting an actual chocolatier where they use simple ingredients by hand means less processing practices which can produce very high-quality chocolates. Taza in Somerville, Massachusetts USA uses only the finest ingredients. They have paleo-friendly chocolate and use organic stone ground processing.

❤️ HOW to Celebrate & Observe CHOCOLATE Day?

Not sure how to LOVE the day? We’ve got a few interesting ideas to consider that may help get you started.

Here are some activities that you can do on CHOCOLATE Day!

💙 START your day off right

Begin the day with a healthy chocolate smoothie or you could make healthy banana chocolate chip pancakes. In fact why not make both; it’s CHOCOLATE Day! Visit Daily Burn for insanely delicious & healthy chocolate recipes.

💙 Just FONDUE It! 🗸

Make a chocolate fondue with fresh fruit.

💙 Almond milk DOES your body good

Buy organic coconut sugar-sweetened, almond milk chocolate bars in either the Almond Milk Classic, Quinoa Crunch, or Crunchy Cashew varieties. You can also take a virtual tour or visit in person by taking an official factory tour of Taza located just outside Boston, Massachusetts USA. We did. Visit their website to learn all about this wonderful chocolate company. They’re delish!

💙 BE a brown noser

Make brownies with coconut sugar and healthy grains, maybe even grain-free. Lily’s is a good choice for a healthy diabetic-friendly alternative to chocolate chips you can add to the recipe.

💙 RAISE Social Awareness

Use social media posts with the hashtags #ChocolateDay, #HappyChocolateDay, #ValentineWeek, #ChocolateLover, #Chocolate, #FoodHolidays, #FebruaryHolidays, #Holiday, #FindADayToLOVE, #iHEARTdays to support the importance of celebrating, promoting, and sharing with the world why you ❤️ CHOCOLATE in INDIA Day.

LEARN more about the history of CHOCOLATE

SEVEN Fun Facts you never knew about CHOCOLATE Day

1. In Japan, it’s actually customary for the ladies to buy men chocolate for VALENTINE’s Day.
2. Research shows that chocolate can be part of a heart-healthy balanced diet.
3. It takes about 400 cacao beans to make one pound of chocolate.
4. The fat that’s in cocoa beans, unlike other fat DOES NOT raise cholesterol but fat is high in calories which means chocolate is high in calories and should be consumed in moderation.
5. A serving of chocolate milk has caffeine comparable to a cup of decaf coffee.
6. Cacao refers to the raw bean from the cacao tree while cocoa bean refers to the cacao bean that’s been roasted.
7. It’s estimated that over 36 million heart-shaped chocolate boxes are sold for Valentine’s Day just in the USA alone annually as a staple for Valentine’s gifting.

Famous PEOPLE also born on January 9th

• Garner Ted Armstrong

  American evangelist and author who diverged from his father Herbert W Armstrong and established his own church while exposing the hypocrisies of paganism in today’s churches & societies and keeping the Sabbath on Saturday. Born 1930.

• Travis Tritt

  American country music singer/songwriter from Marietta, Georgia USA best known for being a superstar in the 1990s often dueling with Garth Brooks, Clint Black, and Alan Jackson. Born 1963.

  TRAVIS TRITT Quote

  “Here’s a quarter, call someone who cares.”

• Tom Hiddleston

  Classically trained English actor best known for playing the villain Loki in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and is damn good at doing impressions. Born 1981.

  TOM HIDDLESTON Quotes

  “We all have two lives. The second one starts when we realize that we only have one.”

  “Everythings a choice. Nobody’s born good. Nobody’s born evil. It’s always a choice.”

Future DATES for CHOCOLATE Day

Year	Date	Day of the Week
2023	February 9	Thursday
2024	February 9	Friday
2025	February 9	Sunday
2026	February 9	Monday
2027	February 9	Tuesday

🍫 Chocolate FAQ

What on earth is a JAFFA?

• Jaffas are actually tiny little round balls with an orange-flavored chocolate center surrounded by a hard candy-coated exterior. Think sixlet meets a chocolate-covered orange slice. The name comes from the Jaffa orange and it’s unique to New Zealand and Australia.

So what is the Cadbury Jaffa RACE?

• There was a time when every year in Dunedin New Zealand that Cadbury would hold a Chocolate Festival and have a Jaffa race. This was a specific charity event where between 30-75,000 Jaffa candies would roll down the steepest street in the world, Baldwin Street. Each little Jaffa only weighs about 2.8 grams but can reach speeds of up to 62 mph while going down the 1150′ street at a 19-degree slope. Every small orange essenced chocolate pearl is sold for a dollar and a number is placed on it. The numbers that cross the finish line first win.

• This Running of the Balls first started in 2001 and sadly ended when we visited the Cadbury Dunedin factory in 2016 which eventually closed its doors in early 2018. The factory tour at Cadbury where Jaffas are made is like no other. It’s almost as good as a real-life Willy Wonka Factory. I had never heard of Jaffas until I arrived that day as they’re a popular chocolate with both Aussies & Kiwis alike. Taking the tour of Cadbury was one of many highlights in Dunedin leaving chocolate lovers with huge smiles on their faces. I myself drank more liquid chocolate than I care to admit. And did I mention there was a huge chocolate waterfall inside of an old silo? There also is a distinct difference between Cadbury made in the UK with Irish crumb, Cadbury bars made in the USA by Hershey, and the chocolate made in NZ. Dunedin featured Cadbury dairy milking cows and is what we were told that makes it so different.

Why we L💜VE CHOCOLATE Day

Chocolate is enjoyed by practically everyone. Not only does it taste good but it’s also good for you. It lowers cholesterol but is also rich in antioxidants. I am a chocolate lover and the United States alone sells over 58 million pounds of it for VALENTINE’s Day. That means I’m not the only one who apparently loves it. As early as 1900 BC people have loved drinking chocolate as a beverage in Mexico and Guatemala because it’s been loved for many many centuries.

In fact, why not wash some chocolate down with a tall glass of milk on National MILK Day!

1. KEEP the Love Embers Burning

   Chocolate contains tryptophan which helps release serotonin which in turn makes women feel passionate. It’s good for helping with stress and sets a romantic tone. The second chemical in chocolate is phenylethylamine. This is a stimulant that helps trigger the emotion you feel when you first energetically fall in love.

2. TAKE a Tour

   Taza is my favorite chocolate in the USA. It’s better than any other chocolate we’ve tasted in the States one taste and you’ll see why. Learn about the Taza Chocolate company and you will fall in love with a great product. Erin was a wonderful factory tour guide for Taza. The owner’s name is Alex Whitmore and he’s put a lot of hard work and pride into developing delicious chocolate and it shows. Take their virtual or live in-person chocolate factory tour to kick off VALENTINE week. Better yet visit a small-batch chocolatier near where you live and support local businesses in the process.

Delight In Every Bite

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