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A ritual seemingly
for uncreative male lovers (I consider giving chocolate a relationship death
stroke), a heart-shaped assortment really gets across that message of "I love that you love chocolate and I
remembered."
"It is the east, and Juliet is the sun." via Wikimedia
So where did this tradition come from? And, are there any truths
to the rumors of chocolate as an aphrodisiac? We'll answer this and more in the
inaugural post of Courtship Chemistry!
What is love? ("Baby don't hurt me, don't hurt me, no more.")
Simply, love is a feeling of affection and attachment
towards another human. The Ancient Greeks had four different words for love,
each representing a different type of affection and attachment. Today we're
relegated to one word, but it seems to work just fine.
Biologically, love is explained by three stages according to
anthropologist Helen Fisher: lust, attraction and attachment. Lust is the
desire to mate and propagate a species, a primal need. Attraction is the
systematic determination of what people desire in a partner, often focusing on
traits to complement their own. Attachment is the sharing and caring with a
partner over a period of time.
Psychologically, love falls into Maslow's hierarchy of
needs, where physiological needs and a sense of safety are treasured before the
sense of belonging offered by love. By achieving this third step in the
hierarchy, the two proceeding steps should become easier to sustain since
another individual is considerate of mutual needs. Interestingly, the need for
love and belonging can supersede the previous steps in the hierarchy once it is
achieved, as evidenced by when people remain with abusive partners.
via Wikimedia
What is Valentine's Day? Where did it come from?
While it is colloquially Valentine's Day, it is more
accurately Saint Valentine's Day, which celebrates the lives of two Christian
martyrs: Valentine of Roma and Valentine of Terni. Both of these individuals
were killed in Third Century Rome and were persecuted for their religious
beliefs.
Here is where history becomes a bit more muddled however, as
broken records keep the two Valentines indistinct. Roman Emperor Claudius II
passed a law prohibiting marriage for young men, thereby eliminating a main distraction
for his soldiers. One of these Valentines continued to perform marriages
despite this new edict. This Valentine was jailed and scheduled to be executed.
Whilst awaiting the sentence, Valentine met a young blind woman that he
returned sight to with his affection. His last correspondence with his beloved
was a note signed "From your Valentine." February 14 was the day of his
interment, which coincided with a traditional Roman festival of fertility. Rome
later became a Christian empire and it was then safe to celebrate Valentine's
death and commitment to love.
I should note this is hearsay, and excluding two Valentines
and a Roman festival of fertility, these rumors are impossible to verify.
Cupid's work goes unrewarded... via MWLN
Why is it customary to give chocolate on Valentine's Day?
While cacao was used by indigenous South Americans as early
as 1400 BC, it was primarily drunk and fermented into alcohol. The Mayan and
Aztec civilizations incorporated chocolate into their diets regularly and the
Aztecs even sacrificed chocolate to their goddess of fertility, Xochiquetzal.
(Are you beginning to see a connection here?)
Thanks, but no thanks. via Bailey's Chocolate Bar
When Spain began to colonize the Americas, they imported
cacao by the ship-full. It remained a decadent, valuable and luscious
commodity, so it made sense to gift it to women of romantic interest.
That standardized, glossy heart-shaped box was first
produced by the Ganong Company in New Brunswick in 1932, though it was
originally released as a Christmas gift. When consumers began requesting the
product during Valentine's Day, Gonong changed their production schedule. The
chocolate gift sets became especially popular after World War II during the
'baby boomer' years.
The tradition [in my opinion, regrettably]
continues today.
So, probably the real reason my reader that you've stuck around this long...
Is chocolate an aphrodisiac?
There seems to be a lot of debate in the scientific field as
to how much of an arousing effect chocolate can have. There is no debate
however, of pleasure inducing chemicals being found within chocolate.
Phenyl ethylamine (PEA) is an occurring chemical in
chocolate and is also found in methamphetamine. PEA is made naturally in the
brain and is released when people fall in love or have an orgasm. Furthermore,
tryptophan (yes, that sleepy chemical) is also organically present in
chocolate. Tryptophan is an essential building block for serotonin, another
chemical directly linked to sexual arousal. Finally, anandamide binds with
cannabinoid receptors, creating euphoria and a sense of well-being.
I don't know if you've followed this, but chocolate seems
like a legitimate drug. However, scientists conclude that there are such
insignificant amounts of these chemical in chocolate, that a person is unlikely
to feel any physiological effects. These chemicals, especially when combined with
the sugar rush, caffeine and theobromine also present in chocolate, typically results
in a physiological high, but with no sexual potency.
A May 2006 study by Italian scientists concludes similarly,
stating there is no direct correlation between eating chocolate and sexual
activity.
NOT an aphrodisiac. via Metro Kids
So guys, there you have it. Save the money on the chocolate
and put some real thought into a meaningful Valentine's Day gift. I think that
will be a better aphrodisiac.
Resources
NYT - The Claim: Chocolate is an aphrodisiac
eHarmony - Fact or Myth: Chocolate is an Aphrodisiac
Canada Cool - Heart shaped box & ...
Wikipedia - Valentine's Day; Chocolate Holidays
Shippenburg University - Abraham Maslow
Defining the Brain Systems of Lust, Romantic Attraction, and Attachment
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