Are there any more reasons to celebrate chocolate aside from the fact that it makes everyone happy? Well, then we better have a holiday to celebrate this glorious thing! Oh, wait…

We already have reserved a day to celebrate our love for all things chocolate. If you ask me, we should be doing this everyday. July 7 is globally known as World Chocolate Day in honour of this beloved concoction. That’s when all the world celebrates chocolate in all its glory. In our household, everyday is World Chocolate Day!

We know you love it, too. Did you know that the Mayans thought so highly of chocolate that it was used as money? They used it as currency and restricted its cultivation so that its value won’t go down. They considered it to be worth more than gold dust! Here are some other interesting tidbits about chocolate:

The Top 5 Chocolate Consuming Countries: based on a 2015 survey
● UK – Brits purchase 14.6 pounds of chocolate per person per year!
● Ireland – The Irish purchase 15.1 pounds of chocolate per person.
● Austria – Austrians purchase 15.7 pounds of chocolate per person.
● Germany – Germans purchase 16.3 pounds of chocolate per person.
● Switzerland – It comes as no surprise, the Swiss top this list as they purchase 18.1 pounds of chocolate per person.

Evergreen company
Chocolate comes from the the beans of the Cacao tree (Theobroma cacao). It is from the evergreen family, Malvaceae. Other members of this family include Mallows, Okra, Cotton, Cola Nuts, and Flame tree.

Gods eat chocolate
The Cacao tree from which chocolate comes from has a scientific name of Theobroma cacao. This roughly translates to “food of the gods”. Very apt, isn’t it?

Don’t feed the animals
We should not share chocolate with our favorite furry friends. While some people might think that they’re giving their pets a treat, chocolate can be potentially lethal for dogs and cats. The substance called Theobromine present in all kinds of chocolate (even white chocolate, but more on that later) is toxic to our furry friends.

Death by chocolate
Humans can actually die of chocolate overdose, too! But you have to eat 22 pounds of chocolate in order for the Theobromine to be fatal. Imagine eating 40 bars of Cadbury Dairy Milk, that’s how much chocolate it will take.

Real chocolate
Speaking of white chocolate… white chocolate doesn’t contain cocoa solids or cocoa liquor – products that a chocolate bar should contain in order to be classified as chocolate. Instead, it contains cocoa butter. Still…yum!

Chocolate high
Chocolate can give you a longer and more intense “buzz” than kissing does. It can give you 4x more of an intense high than a passionate kiss. “Chocolate contains phenylethylamine which can raise levels of endorphins, the pleasure-giving substances, in the brain. It also contains caffeine which has a stimulatory effect on the brain. [1]” Imagine if it were chocolate kisses…

How do you plan to celebrate World Chocolate Day? Share your thoughts with us in the comments. Stay humble, hustle hard.

Written by Jaie O. The Help

References:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/6558775.stm
https://www.usnews.com/news/best-countries/slideshows/top-10-countries-that-eat-the-most-chocolate