Long before it was moulded into bars, chocolate was used in the form of a hot, spicy drink by the Aztecs in special religious ceremonies. Since then, people have continued incorporating chocolate in many of their religious and cultural events. Judiasm, Islam, Christianity and many other religions celebrate certain holidays with chocolate.
Valentine’s Day
Although many may assume that it’s purely a commercial event, Valentine’s Day has its roots deeper in Christian lore. Saint Valentine’s Day was originally a liturgical celebration of an early Christian saint named Valentinus. It’s believed that Valentinus performed weddings for soldiers who were otherwise forbidden to marry, and was imprisoned as a result.
It was only towards the late 19th century, in the Victorian era, that Valentine’s Day was introduced as a celebration of love and courtship. In the latter half of the 20th century, it became common for lovers to exchange cards, roses and of course chocolates in a heart-shaped box on the day.
Hanukah
Hanukah, also known as the Festival of Lights, is an eight-day Jewish holiday that commemorates the rededication of the Second Holy Temple in Jerusalem after the Maccabean Revolt. After reclaiming Jerusalem from Antiochus, Judah was said to have burned a candle in the Temple for nine days on an amount of oil that would normally have fuelled only a single candle.
During Hanukah, Jewish families light one candle per day on the hanukkiah, which is a traditional 9-branched candelabra. Today it has also become a common tradition to give children chocolate gelt (Yiddish for “money”) to add to the excitement of the holiday.
Easter
Easter is the day when Christians celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Christians may mark this holiday with all-night prayer vigils and sunrise services, and by decorating eggs, which represent new life. In modern times, however, Easter has become associated with chocolate Easter bunnies and chocolate Easter eggs.
The association of eggs with Easter dates back to the early Christians of Mesopotamia, who stained their eggs red in memory of the blood Christ shed during his crucifixion. Other Christians believe that Mary Magdalene brought eggs to the tomb of Jesus Christ to share with the other women there, and that these eggs turned red upon Jesus’s resurrection. The tradition of the Easter bunny began in Alsace, Switzerland, where a book published in 1682 described a rabbit bring chocolate treats to children at Easter time.
Eid
Also known as the Feast of Breaking the Fast, Eid is the day that marks the end of Ramadan, which is a month-long fasting period, or sawm. On Eid, Muslims gather with friends and family to exchange gifts and enjoy special foods, including various sweet dishes. Children are often given chocolates as gifts to add to the holiday spirit.
Aztec Ceremonies
Chocolate’s earliest roots lie with the Aztecs, who – as mentioned above – consumed it as a hot, spicy drink. As recently as 2007, archaeologists discovered evidence pointing to chocolate consumption, dating as far back as 1400 BC, in what is now Honduras. Residues found in the archaeological dig suggest that the pulp of the cacao beans may have been fermented to create an alcoholic drink. We do know that the drink was reserved only for chiefs and other authorities. The Mayan image above depicts a chief forbidding a civilian to touch his chocolate.
Post courtesy of Jeff, a chocaholic and writer for http://www.chocolatetime.co.za/ – a South African chocolate company based in Cape Town.