When Valentine’s Day rolls around, Candygrams are the way to go. My Mom would always pay for one to be delivered to my class. Everyone would be receiving them around Valentine’s Day. It was a big event in elementary school. On Halloween, people trick or treat, and around Christmas they do secret Santa. Candygrams were Valentine’s Day’s way of gift giving. So how did the Candygram-giving start?

Candygram’s origins can be traced back to a big Telegraph Company in the mid 1900s called the Western Union. The Western Union specialized in business and government messages at first, but as more of the working class began to use their services, the business shifted to appeal to a wider range of customers. They quickly became one of the leading telegraph companies in the U.S. To keep themselves in this leading position, The Western Union started to accompany their telegraphs with services. When Valentine’s Day of 1959 rolled around, The Western Union began to craft a new service for the holiday. They did this in part to compete with telephone companies that were starting to steal their holiday business. On Valentine’s Day 1959, the Candygram broke the surface. It was advertised as “The Sweetest Message in The World,” and people bought it. They would send their loved ones specialized telegrams along with a box of chocolates. 

Candygrams were convenient. They helped spread the love of Valentine’s Day much farther than ever before. Candygrams were a way of showing love to someone who you couldn’t see in person for whatever reason. It was a way to say, “Even though we aren’t together, I’m still thinking of you.” Candygrams also helped to enhance Valentine’s Day’s purpose. Instead of Valentine’s Day just being about love, you could more easily show love to all of your relatives and friends. The backstory behind Candygrams can also teach everyone a lesson about not giving up on new ideas. You never know, you might be the next one to start a quintessential holiday tradition, just like the Western Union Telegraph Company.