The Sweet and Shocking Historical past of Sweet Hearts

The Sweet Hearts, best known as conversation candy, have been a tradition for hundreds of years. While originally used to express love and affection, the iconic candy has gone through numerous transformations to become one of the most popular Valentine’s Day candies of all time.

The origins of Sweet Hearts go back to the 1860s, when the Nonpareil Company in Boston began making “conversation heart” candy. As its name implies, these small, heart-shaped candies were designed to serve as a medium of communication between lovers and friends. At first, the hearts were inscribed with simple, hand-written messages such as “Be Mine” or “Kiss Me”.

In 1866, the New England Confectionery Company (NECCO) acquired the Nonpareil Company and began manufacturing the candies on a larger scale. NECCO began to experiment with new messages and, in 1901, introduced the first mass-produced Sweet Hearts. The messages on the sweet hearts were printed in a bold, block font and featured sayings such as “Love You” and “Say Yes”.

The Sweet Hearts have become an integral part of Valentine’s Day, and their popularity grew exponentially in the early 20th century. In the 1970s, an array of fun and silly messages were added to the candies, such as “Fliggity Jiggity” and “Wink Wink”. The modern-day Sweet Hearts feature messages such as “BFF”, “Call Me”, and “LOL”, reflecting the changing times and people’s sensibilities.

Whether you like them for their sentiments or for their retro sweetness, Sweet Hearts undoubtedly remain a classic holiday staple. Through their longevity, the conversation candy continues to capture the sentimentality and playfulness of exchanging messages of love.

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