When you think of divisive holiday candies, Halloween’s candy corn inevitably comes to mind. Marshmallow Peeps at Easter are up there, too. But there’s nothing like the love/hate relationship people have with Valentine’s Day’s conversation hearts.
Variations of the little candies with romantic messages date back to the mid-19th century. Today, the New England Confectionery Co. (Necco) ― “the leading manufacturer of conversation hearts” ― claims to produce about 8 billion hearts each year.
So, even if you think they taste like chalk, you’ve likely given or received conversation hearts. And, based on the way people talk about them online, you probably also have a firm opinion on whether you should have your candy heart and eat it too.
In honor of Valentine’s Day, we’ve rounded up 19 tweets that sum up the conversation heart debate.