Chocolates and chocolate gifts have transformed the lifestyles of billions since the first discovery of this most favourite of treats. Chocolate comes from the cocoa bean which is more than four thousand years old. The very first civilisatons revered this mystical dark bean, considering it to be a gift from above. These early cultures concocted a rich thick brew from these beans. Some even used it as an early type of money, and there were many things a bean could buy. Four, for instance, could buy you dinner.  
The cocoa bean consumed alone is sour and was in fact rejected by the first Spanish explorers. They did not realise what they had discovered and brought back with them to to their own country.   The Spanish took with them a method for making for this sharp tasting beverage. It was not all that popular until the well-known Spanish explorer Cortez took the decision to combine the sharp drink with sugar. Subsequently it turned out to be a sensation and only royalty was permitted to consume this fantastic drink. They included other spices nutmeg and vanilla. They were able to hide this drink from the world for over a century! From that time on it soon made its way around the world. Different cultures started brewing it in different ways, refining it,and jncorporating other ingredients. It was over time evolving into the wonderful sweet candy that we know now .  
Today you can enjoy this delicious dark candy anywhere the world and it can be found in just about every form conceivable. You will come across it in milk, biscuits, coffee, candies, breakfast cereals, chocolate covered fruit, ice-cream and even wine! And you can of course buy chocolate presents !   There is no more welcome offering for any sweet-toothed person than a box of chocs . Do you realise what the most popular item is on Valentine's day? Chocolates of course ! More people give chocolate gifts on this day than any other kind of gift. We all think that the way to man's heart is through his stomach and evidently the way to reach woman's heart is through a gift of this gorgeous sweet treat!  
It is also a fantastic present on other special days too. At Easter countless children will wake up to find it in their Easter baskets. Hundreds of plastic eggs will be hidden away with this dark sweet treat inside them. On Christmas Father Christmas often stuffs stockings full of this dark sweet treat.   Are you able to picture a world with out chocolate? It's hard don't you think? Now you know why chocolates and chocolate gifts are definitely the very best presents you can give.