Chocolate coins and Christmas

Chocolate coins are not only sweet treats  they're fun to handle as gifts especially among children. However they only seem to surface during the holidays. This may leave you wondering whether there's a link and you might be right.

It is not surprising to learn that gifting chocolate coins to kids around the holidays is a tradition that can be traced back to the 16th century.

The tradition started not long after chocolate arrived in Europe. Legends claim that the tradition of giving chocolate coins was inspired by the deeds of Saint Nicholas in the fourth century.

Chocolate coins are also a token of Saint Nicholas Day or the Feast of Saint Nicholas, which is celebrated on December 6th in western countries and December 19th in eastern countries.

Saint Nicholas Day is a Christian holiday and festival celebrated in Europe, especially in Germany and Poland, where it often corresponds to attending Mass.

The Celebrations centers around Saint Nicholas's reputation as a bringer of gifts, and Chocolate coins were provided as a festive way for everyone to participate.

In the United States, Saint Nicholas Day does not get such elaborate festivals. However, in cities with German influences, children are known to celebrate by putting their shoes by the fireplace or the front door on the night of December 5th to find them filled with chocolate coins or other treats on December 6th.

The tradition of giving out chocolate coins is not restricted to those celebrating Christmas only.

The Jewish tradition of giving Hanukkah gelt, which translates to Hanukkah money began in the 17th century and is still going strong. Jewish parents give Gelt to children to play dreidel.

In the 1920s American chocolatiers picked up on the Chocolate Coin / Gelt concept and started mass producing them for widespread distribution.

There are both Gelt and Chocolate coins widely available in the United states.