History Of The Conversation Heart

We love those little hearts that are so popular this time of year! But – have you ever wondered about the history of the conversation heart? Come see!

Who else grew up looking forward to February? I sure did – but mainly because of the candy! My parents would always have a few sweet treats in the house around Valentine’s Day and I always looked forward to that. When I was younger I couldn’t wait to get my hands on those tiny candy hearts with slogans on them such as, “Be Mine” and “I Choose U!” Conversation hearts were – and still are – so much fun to receive because you never know exactly what ‘comment’ you are going to get. (Some of you may not enjoy the taste – but you have to admit that reading the messages is fun!) Now that I am older, I find myself wondering about the history of the conversation heart. After a little digging I found some pretty cool tidbits – and I am excited to share them with you!

A Brief History

Oliver Chase And NECCO

The history of the conversation heart began in 1847 when a pharmacist by the name of Oliver Chase invented a more efficient way to produce apothecary lozenges.  Back then, lozenges were fast becoming popular and were being used to remedy a variety of things from sore throats to bad breath.  The original process for making these lozenges was all done by hand and was very time consuming, but Mr. Chase created a machine that would make producing them much easier. His invention mechanically rolled out ‘dough’ and pressed wafers into perfect little shapes. In essence, he invented an automatic lozenge cutter machine, which greatly increased his production, and he soon joined the confectionary business.

With the success of his automatic lozenge machine, Mr. Chase abandoned his pharmacy career and turned all of his attention towards producing candy. He was very successful in the confectionary business and eventually the Necco (New England Candy Company) was born! Fun Fact: the first ‘candy lozenges’ are what we now know today as the NECCO Wafer!

Daniel Chase And The Addition Of Words

In 1866, Oliver’s brother Daniel developed a way to press letters into the tiny lozenges. Using a felt roller pad and coloring from vegetables, Daniel was able to print tiny words directly onto the lozenges and these were soon called motto lozenges or motto candies or conversation candies. In 1902 these motto candies began being produced in a heart shape.

The Right Shape

Daniel’s candy printing machine was a huge success and soon sayings were being pressed into all sorts of shapes – from clovers to horse shoes. But, in 1902, as the popularity of Valentine’s Day was growing, these motto candies began being produced on a heart shape! Thus the creation of the Conversation Heart!

The Messages

While the success of the heart shape was undeniable, there was a drawback to it. The heart shape was smaller than some others so the message on it had to be short and sweet. For many years the company produced a standard set of messages that were timeless. Then, in 1990s, NECCO decided to update some of their messages to reflect to sayings that were more modern! Here are some of my favorites!

LET S READ
LIVE N LOVE
DREAM BIG
BEST DAY
BE HAPPY
SHINE BRITE
GIGGLE
ANGEL
ASK ME
QT PIE
FIRST KISS
HOLD HANDS
HUG ME
LOVE BUG
LOVE ME
I LOVE YOU
MARRY ME
YOU & I
MISS YOU
MY LOVE
SAY YES
SMILE
SOUL MATE
SWEET PEA
SWEET TALK
TRUE LOVE
XOXO
LET’S KISS
MELT MY 3
SWEET STUFF
DATE NITE

Even more interesting is that NECCO has taken note of things such as texting and social media. Most recently, they have included sayings such as LOL and BFF. What is so neat is that the company would meet and discusses the newest trends each year!

A New Chapter

Sadly, NECCO declared bankruptcy in 2018 and was ultimately bought out by the Spangler Candy Company. The Spangler Company is no stranger to iconic candy and as of 2020 “has 8 significant and nostalgic brands in its portfolio.”

Wrap Up

Conversation hearts are perhaps one of the most iconic Valentine’s Day treat around and people love to eat them during that 6 week period between New Years and Valentine’s Day. While I don’t find them to be the most tasty treats on the store shelves, their history more than makes up for it! I hope you enjoyed reading up on the history of the conversation heart. Now, I want to know, what is your favorite conversation heart saying?

HOW I USE THEM: I love to use these sweet treats as decor during the Valentine’s season. I like to display them on shelves and in cupboards and I always store them in jars to help keep any potential critters away! It’s an easy way to add a pop of Valentine fun into your decor!

QUICK TIP: Place a toilet paper tube inside your jar before filling it with the conversation hearts. That way, you can use less hearts and still give the appearance that you have a full jar!