It’s Never Too Early to Start Stocking Up on the Best Valentine’s Day Candy

Valentine’s Day and candy go together like Christmas and snow, Thanksgiving and turkey, or Halloween and ... well, also candy. But just how this February holiday got its sweet tooth is a little complicated.

Did you know that while the Feast of Saint Valentine dates all the way back to 496 A.D., what we now call Valentine's Day wasn't even associated with romance until 1382, when Chaucer published his poem Parliament of Fowls? And that according to The Oxford Companion to Sugar and Sweets, candy didn't become the go-to Valentine's Day gift until 1868, when Cadbury introduced heart-shaped boxes in a gambit to boost sales? And did you know that telling your partner all of that will not make them any less mad at you when you forget to get them candy on Feb. 14?

Whether you're shopping for your spouse, your kids' classroom, or your “it’s complicated,” the truth is, you can't go wrong with candy. So, here's an array of our favorite Valentine's Day candy for your sweetheart's sweet tooth.