The History of Sweetheart Candies

For over a century, the Valentine's Day treats and the messages printed on them have matched the tone and jargon of the times.  More than eight billion or 13 million pounds of Sweetheart candies are sold in the six weeks leading up to Valentine's Day.  Sweethearts make up 40% of the Valentine Candy market just behind chocolate.  

They're not diamonds nor flowers, but Sweetheart candies, those tiny heart-shaped confections with embossed endearments, may well be the sweetest way to get your message across on Valentine's Day.

A Michigan man, Mike Waltz, went to extraordinary lengths to collect enough "Marry Me" hearts to propose to his girlfriend in 2004.  After buying several bags of the candy and finding two or three "Marry me" hearts in each, he emailed the New England Confectionary Company (Necco) that makes the candies in Revere, Massachusetts.  Someone at the company must have had a big heart because a few days later, a small box of tiny pastel "Marry Me" hearts arrived at his house!  

Waltz's wedding anniversary is coming up this Valentine's Day and his wife, Chris still has that box of Sweethearts revealing the proposal hearts in its plastic window. "I'm never going to open it," she says.  "It's a keepsake." Mike has his own memento in a valet box on his dresser: a Sweetheart that says, "I do."

One of America's oldest candy companies, Necco was founded in 1847 in Boston by Englishman Oliver Chase who got the business off to a good start by inventing devices that cut candy lozenges and pulverized sugar.  Necco first sold confections similar to Sweethearts, but in the shape of scalloped shells.  Messages written on colored paper were tucked inside the fortune cookie-style candy.  Fourteen years later, Oliver's brother Daniel designed a machine that stamped words directly onto the candies with red vegetable dye.  The treats became popular at weddings and were considerably larger than today's hearts.  By the early 1900s the shape of the candy had changed from shells, baseballs and horseshoes to hearts.  As the little hearts grew in popularity, the messages grew shorter with "Miss You" and "Love U'.  

Original mottos from the candy's first appearance in 1902, such as "Be Mine", "Be True" and "Kiss Me" remain very popular. 

Aimee Scott, Necco Marketing Director says "We try to adjust and change, keeping current with the times."  In some ways, Sweethearts are tiny time capsules of trendy lingo of days gone by: "Dig me" or "Hep Cat" and even "Fax Me".  They have all made appearances in the past 20 years only to bite the sugary dust.  Current messages reflect the language of popular culture and Internet jargon such as "You Rock", "Text Me", or "Me & U". 

Last year, for the first time, Necco solicited suggestions directly from the public on a special website.  It received more than 10,000 submissions and the company's marketing team selected these messages:  "Tweet Me", "Text Me".

The company has also tinkered with the Sweethearts' flavors.  Marketing research showed that children prefer bolder tastes and colors.  Out went banana, cherry and wintergreen and in came bright blue raspberry, lemon and green apple.  This caused a bit of a backlash from sentimental baby boomers who wanted their old candy back!  The company was inundated with calls, letters and emails complaining about the change.

And in closing.. Not the most romantic, but naysayers should be relieved that the candy maker continually nixes the occasional consumer suggestion for "break-up hearts."  Some of the rejects?  "Get a Pre-nup" and "Call My Lawyer".

Be Safe.

Pat Locke, Maestro Muse 

 

Necco Wafers, the original candy wafer, are back in their familiar 24 count tray in 8 original flavors!  Manufactured now by Spangler Candy, this iconic candy has been around since 1847 when the candy's name was an acronym for the New England Confectionary Company based in Revere, Massachusetts.  The disk-shaped candies wrapped in wax paper are instantly recognizable to candy aficionados.  

If you can't find Necco and are craving them for Valentine's Day, you can buy them online at www.spanglercandy.com or at most Dollar General stores, pharmacies and other major retailers.

The beloved candy's disappearance came after the factory in Revere, Massachusetts that made Necco Wafers closed abruptly in 2018 and after a two year absence Spangler purchased the Necco Wafer brand was returned to fans in the summer of 2020.  

Due to its enduring popularity, the original recipe for the Necco Wafer has remained essentially unchanged over the years and now is no exception!

The eight all-time favorite flavors and colors are lemon (yellow), lime (green), orange (orange), clove (light purple), cinnamon (white), wintergreen (pink), licorice (dark grey) and chocolate (brown).  True Necco Wafers connoisseurs may detect a richer cocoa flavor in the chocolate wafers due to a minor improvement made in the cooking process. 

Necco Wafers have truly stood the test of time!  New fans will discover their sweetness while longtime loyal fans relish the feelings of nostalgia that come with unwrapping and savoring each wafer! The same wax paper is also being used to package the candy so Necco lovers will still feel that sense of nostalgia every time they grab a roll.

"We are delighted to bring Necco Wafers back into production and to share in their sweet return with fans .. old and new."  We know fans have been anxiously waiting for the return of Necco Wafers and anticipate high demand.  Our production lines will continue to run as fast as possible to keep stores in-stock."

Kirkland B. Vashaw, CEO Spangler Candy Company

The Spangler Candy Company is a privately owned international confectioner that has been manufacturing and marketing candy since 1906.  Headquartered in Bryan, Ohio Spangler's products include lollipops, candy canes and marshmallow circus peanuts. Btw, Bryan, Ohio is considered the candy cane capital of the world with the Spangler Candy Company being one of the largest manufacturers of candy canes. 

Spangler Candy Company began on August 20, 1906 when Arthur G. Spangler purchased the Gold Leaf Baking Company of Defiance, Ohio for $450 and moved the company to 204 W. High Street in Bryan, Ohio. Eventually, the company moved to its present location on N. Portland Street. The new company produces baking soda, baking powder, corn starch, laundry starch, spices and flavorings. In 1908, Arthur's brother, Ernest joins the company and suggests adding candy to the line. In 1914, a third brother, Omar joined the business and brings mechanical and bookkeeping knowledge. In 1920, all products manufactured at the company are simply candy so the name is changed from Spangler Manufacturing Company to Spangler Candy Company. In 1927, a retail store is opened in Maumee, Ohio. In 1940, Spangler created their Marshmallow Circus Peanuts which was their version of a popular penny candy. 

In 2006, Spangler Candy celebrated its 100th year with the publication of a 100 year book, A Sweet Century. In November 2020, Spangler Candy acquired the Bit-O-Honey brand from Peterson Candy.  Among their products is Dum Dums which are lollipops.  These lollipops were originated by Akron Candy Company in Bellevue, Ohio in 1924.  I.C. Bahr, the early sales manager of the company, named the ball-shaped candy on a stick and figured Dum Dums was a word any child could say.  They continue to use paper sticks rather than plastic sticks because plastic can break in the manufacturing process possibly allowing plastic pieces to get in the candy. They add a small amount of food grade wax to the sticks to minimize the stick getting soggy.  

From the time of their creation, Necco Wafers have been enjoyed all over the world, quite literally.  They were carried by soldiers during the Civil War.  In 1913, explorer Donald MacMillan took Necco Wafers on his Arctic explorations, sharing them with Eskimo children. Later in the 1930s, two and half tons of Necco Wafers were taken on an expedition to the South Pole, which amounted to about a pound a week for each person during their two-year stay.  During World War II, the U.S. Government requisitioned a major portion of the production of Necco Wafers.  The candy was perfect for shipping to troops overseas since it doesn't melt and is very portable. 

Btw, my favorite Necco wafer is clove. They have truly stood the test of time! 

Necco Wafer Mini Rolls

Be Safe.

Pat Locke, Maestro Muse 

         

Chanel N°5

Chanel N°5 is, without a doubt, the most iconic fragrance of all time. It's been a staple within many a glamorous woman's fragrance wardrobes since its creation back in 1921. At the perfume's center is a floral bouquet of rose and jasmine with a touch of vanilla to deepen.

This perfume or one of your Valentine's perfume favorites is a great Valentine's Day gift for that special woman in your life.

Add to it, a sweetheart sale. Offer expires 2/28/21.

Be Safe.

Pat Locke, Maestro Muse

 

Super Bowl LV Halftime Show 

Abel Makkonen Tesfaye, known professionally as The Weeknd, is a Canadian singer, songwriter and record producer. Noted for his versatility in vocal style, music production and eccentric presentation, The Weeknd is often cited as an influence to contemporary music as well as by other artists. Tesfaye was born on February 16, 1990 in Toronto.

Be Safe. 

Pat Locke, Mastro Muse 

 

Eric Church and Jasmine Sullivan

The Star-Spangled Banner” is known to be one of the most challenging songs for a performer to belt, which is ironic since it was written for every United States citizen to sing. To this day, the national anthem, written by Francis Scott Key can be a tough one for even the most trained star to do right by.

But then .. there was Whitney Houston.

In 1991, the then 27-year-old vocalist set the gold standard with her rendition at Super Bowl 25 on Jan. 27. She was at the height of her music career, having released three successful studio albums in the five years prior to stepping onto the football field. The country had just entered the Persian Gulf War and there was a sense of deep patriotism in the air when she performed, something that her rendition upheld to the nth degree.

“If you were there, you could feel the intensity. We were in the Gulf War at the time. It was an intense time for our country. A lot of our daughters and sons were overseas fighting. I could see in the stadium, I could see the fear, the hope, the intensity, the prayers going up.”

One of the teams that played in Super Bowl XXV was the Buffalo Bills lead by Jim Kelly whose number was #12.

Jim Kelly in Super Bowl XXV

The Giants held on to win Super Bowl XXV over the Buffalo Bills, 20-19, on Sunday, January 27, 1991 after Bills kicker Scott Norwood's game-winning, 47-yard field goal went wide right. None of us who watched that game at home or at the stadium that night will ever forget .. that kick. 

Hopefully, for Super Bowl LVI Bills fans will see their team win that game in Los Angeles with quarterback, Mr. Josh Allen ..this time around!

Be Safe.

Pat Locke, Maestro Muse