El Día de los Muertos, or The Day of the Dead, is an ancient holiday celebrated in Mexico and by Latin Americans that honors those who have died.

The holiday is usually celebrated over two days, November 1st and 2nd, and it’s believed that over these two days it’s easier for the souls of the dead to communicate with those still living. A common symbol of the holiday is the skull, and celebrants use sugar and chocolate skulls to give as gifts to both the living and the dead, usually inscribed with the name of a deceased loved one on the …read more

Cookie exchange parties have become pretty popular over the last few years. Party guests are typically instructed to make their favorite batch of cookies (making sure there are enough for each of the other guests invited to have at least one), and then everyone meets up at the host’s place to exchange cookies and have a fun time.

This holiday season, Hershey’s Kisses is inviting 1,000 holiday bakers and entertainers to celebrate by hosting a Hershey’s Kisses Cookie Exchange Party!
But it gets even sweeter: now through November 15, party hosts can even apply to have their cookie exchange sponsored by Hershey’s …read more

There are only a few days left to enter what may be the biggest Halloween treat on the planet! Mars Snackfood announced today the last chance to win an incredible Halloween treat: $1 million in the 2009 Halloween Million Sweepstakes!

U.S. residents have until Saturday, October 31, 2009, to register for the 2009 Halloween Million Sweepstakes at halloweenmillion.com by entering the UPC on packages of M&M’S, Snickers, Twix, Milky Way, 3 Musketeers, Skittles, and Starburst candies. (A full list of candies and sizes can be found here.)
One lucky person will receive the $1 million grand prize, and thousands more will …read more

My Facebook feed is going crazy with friends and family signing up for this deal from Edible Arrangements:

Simply go to their Facebook page (you may need a Facebook account of your own) and fill out the form to get an emailed coupon to redeem for a sampler sized six piece chocolate covered box of fruit!
The small print says that the fruits themselves will vary, and can include anything from apples, bananas, oranges, pineapples, pears, and strawberries. Obviously, they’re dipped in chocolate as well.
They’re giving away 100,000 boxes of the signature dipped fruits, and the …read more

This week, more than 400 exhibitors are in Paris, France for the 2009 Paris Chocolate Festival. The event, which runs from October 14-18th, kicked off last night with a chocolate fashion show. And yes, everything that was worn was either made with or layered in chocolate!

The five day event will feature the latest innovations from chocolatiers around the world, and will include cooking demonstrations, a cocoa show dedicated to the cultures and countries that produce cocoa, tasting sessions and even an awards show.
Last night’s fashion show featured French celebrities, including models, actors, singers and television personalities, who strutted down …read more

Mrs. Fields will be celebrating National Cookie Month next month by giving away free chocolate chip cookies!

On Thursday, October 1st, the popular cookie chain will be handing out one free chocolate chip cookie at each participating location across the United States between 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM.
“Cookies are a fun way to honor many different occasions in people’s lives, so it only seems natural to join in the celebration that pays tribute to cookies,” says Steve Willes, Mrs. Fields’ Director of Marketing. “We believe that part of our business is putting smiles on people’s faces and we hope that …read more

Serendipity 3, the famous New York shop most famous for its Frrrozen Hot Chocolate, is celebrating not only its 55th birthday, but also its 10 millionth sale of the legendary treat!

The famous shop has been open since 1954, and on September 15, 2009, they’ll be celebrating their 55th birthday by serving the 10 millionth Frrrozen Hot Chocolate drink to one lucky patron. No word on if the customer will get anything special, though being recognized as #10,000,000 might be honor enough!
The Frrrozen Hot Chocolate, a slushy, decadent chocolate drink, has been Serendipity 3’s signature drink for decades and has a …read more

It doesn’t get much more decadent than this: a diamond importer in New England has created a dessert made with chocolate, a blackberry and a beautiful two carat Asher cut diamond! This beauty will “only” set you back $18,000.

Mervis Diamond Importers have had the treat created for a “dazzling night of diamonds and chocolate” at their Washington, DC shop on July 22nd.
The event will feature a diamond-topped chocolate fountain that guests can dip fresh fruit into, as well as chocolate martinis. Sounds like a fun night to me!
[image: mervis diamonds]

Doubletree Hotels are offering the “sweet treat” of a complimentary, freshly-baked chocolate chip cookie to anyone who visits any of its 200+ locations on Canada Day, July 1, and Independence Day, July 4th.

Walk into any Doubletree hotel between 12:01 a.m. and 11:59 p.m. on Wednesday, July 1 at Canadian Doubletree hotels and Saturday, July 4 at U.S. Doubletree locations to receive a delicious, warm chocolate chip cookie to commemorate each country’s holiday. You don’t need to be a guest and you don’t need to purchase anything. Sweet!
“Our `Free Cookies on the First and Fourth’ promotion is a fun way …read more

This is a fashion show I can get into it — all the outfits are made of chocolate!
The New York Chocolate Fashion Show is an annual event, and this year over 60 pastry chefs and chocolatiers participated and worked with a theme: superheroes! Watch the process — from creation to fitting to showing — in the video above.
I can tell you one thing, I would not be a thin little waif for long wearing one of these!