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Valentine’s Day is celebrated widely through the endulgence of chocolate confections and desserts.
Friday, Feb. 12 at 10 a.m. — MIDDLEBURY — Join the Vermont Folklife Center on Friday, Feb. 12, for a celebration of love and chocolate! “Love Chocolate, Love Stories” is a day-long event featuring chocolate candy, chocolate desserts, and the opportunity to share your own personal stories about romance, courtship, and love.
The event will include a showcase of chocolate confections, baked goods, and desserts—modeled on our annual gingerbread competition—beginning at 10 a.m., followed by a special Valentine’s Day lecture at 4 p.m., and a tasting session from 5 to 7 p.m. Participants can also drop in to record their own love story in the on-site sound studio anytime throughout the day.
This year’s guest lecture at 4 p.m. will be delivered by University of Vermont professor Wolfgang Mieder and is titled “‘Loves Me, Loves Me Not’: The Origin, Tradition, and Survival of the Daisy Oracle of Love.” Mieder’s talk traces the popular divination rhyme “He (she) loves me, he (she) loves me not” and its variants from the Middles Ages to its varied survival in advertisements, cartoons, and modern greeting cards. He will also show how this flower oracle has found its way into numerous political caricatures, Valentine cards, modern lyrical poetry, economic commentaries, and the world of advertising. The talk will be richly illustrated.
“Love Chocolate” is both a tasting opportunity and a friendly competition. Candy makers, bakers, and chocolate dessert enthusiasts at all levels are invited to join the competition. Prizes will be offered in both professional (i.e. chocolatiers, bakeries, restaurants, and candy shops) and amateur categories. The deadline for entry forms is Monday, Feb. 8.
“Love Stories” is an opportunity to record your story for posterity. From 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., reserve a time for a recording session in the studio—with your loved one or on your own—and be presented with your personal Love Story on CD or as an MP3 file.
From 5 to 7 p.m., join the tasting session as visitors sample the various chocolate and confections featured in the day-long showcase.
“Love Chocolate, Love Stories” is being sponsored by a generous Secret Valentine so there is no charge for the event or the recording. For entry guidelines and forms visit www.vermontfolklifecenter.org or call 802-388-4964.
The Vermont Folklife Center is located at 88 Main Street in downtown Middlebury (directly on the traffic circle). Its mission is to broaden, strengthen, and deepen understanding of Vermont and the surrounding region; to assure a repository for collective cultural memory; and to strengthen communities by building connections among the diverse peoples of Vermont.
