March 14, 2008
Chocolate's most famous holiday associations are not ones that are actually celebrations of chocolate. The top chocolate holidays -- Christmas, Valentine's Day, Easter, and Mother's Day -- might all incorporate chocolate into the festivities but they can't be thought of as celebrations of chocolate.
Fortunately, holidays and festivals that do celebrate chocolate are quite common. March may be most famous for its Ides, the Vernal Equinox, St Patrick's Day, Purim, and for being National Women's History Month, but it is also host to National Peanut Butter Lover's Day (March 1st - there is also a National Peanut Butter Lover's Month: November), National Caramel Day (March 19th), and American Chocolate Week (the third week of the month).
Chocolate festivals held in March include the Oregon Chocolate Festival and the Austin Chocolate Festival -- neither of which actually takes place during American Chocolate Week for some reason.
May 15th is National Chocolate Chip Day; June is National Candy Month; July holds court to National Milk Chocolate Day (the 28th); September hosts both International Chocolate Day (the 13th) and National White Chocolate Day (the 22nd); October 23rd is "The Sweetest Day" of the year; Halloween lays claim to being the biggest day for chocolate and candy all year; we don't get around to celebrating Bittersweet Chocolate until November 7th; and we round out the year with National Chocolate Covered Anything Day on December 16th and National Chocolate Day on December 28th.
