What comes to mind when you think about Valentine’s Day? Romance? Red roses? Chocolate? How about candy hearts? You can’t visit a grocery store at this time of year without seeing bags and bags of candy hearts for sale. If you’re like many Americans, you’ll grab at least one bag to enjoy for the short period of time they are on the shelves. What’s enjoyable about candy hearts, also known as conversation hearts, is that they are fun in addition to being sweet! The sayings on the hearts are what separate this candy from the rest.
To honor these tiny Valentine’s Day treats, we’ve compiled a list of “fun facts” about them. We bet you didn’t know them all!
* Daniel Chase created the first conversation hearts in 1866 by devising a machine that would press food dye letters onto the candy lozenges made famous by his brother and NECCO founder Oliver Chase. NECCO brand candy hearts are called Sweethearts®. (Source)
* Sweethearts® are the best-selling Valentine’s Day candy. (Source)
* From mid-February to January NECCO produces about 100,000 pounds of the iconic candy hearts each day, which adds up to billions of candy hearts- more than enough for everyone in the world to have one. (Source)
* Sweethearts® sayings have reflected how our country and culture has changed. Sayings have been added and dropped based on how people communicate. (Source)
* A new Sweethearts® recipe was introduced in 2010 and remains in production today. (Source)
* Sweethearts® varieties include True Love, Diva: Dazzled Tarts, Te Amo: En Espanol, True Love: Sugar Free, Color Your Own, and True Love: Chocolate. (Source)
* Sweethearts® flavors include Lemon, Apple, Blue Raspberry, Strawberry, Grape, and Orange. (Source)
* Some favorites among the more than one hundred Sweetheart sayings have been in circulation since the hearts were first factory-made in 1902. These classics include “Kiss Me,” “Sweet Talk,” and “Be Mine.” (Source)
* Conversation hearts come in two sizes—the standard 1/2 inch and the larger 3/4 inch model. The small hearts generally can fit no more than two words with four letters each, while the large hearts may accommodate two words with six letters each. (Source)
* New sayings for 2015 are: “BFF,” “Te Amo,” “Je T’aime,” along with the smiley face and the oh-so-trendy mustache symbols. (Source)
* In the 1908 book Anne of Green Gables, Gilbert attempts to give a pink candy heart with the words “You Are Sweet” to Anne. (Source)
* A season one episode of Friends is titled “The One with the Candy Hearts”. (Source)
* Candy Hearts is an American pop-punk band from New Jersey and New York. (Source)