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 forehead.

While searching around for more information on chocolate skulls, I came across a selection that Vosges chocolates has. Available in dark chocolate, milk chocolate and blanca (white), the 2.2 ounce chocolate skulls have black salt-coated eyes. The dark chocolate also contains ancho and chipotle chillies and Ceylon cinnamon, the milk chocolate has hickory smoked almonds and grey sea salt, and the blanca is a single-origin Venezuelan white chocolate.

All three skulls are available together for $21, or separately for $8 each.

To learn more about the Day of the Dead, check out Day of the Dead history, History & Origins, and Day of the Dead holiday guide.

[image: vosges]

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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 Kisses by visiting kissescookies.com. While there, you can also check out holiday cookie recipes, including Peanut Butter Blossoms and the Chocolate Almond Thumbprint cookie, and party planning tips, such as:

~ Invite guests at least two weeks in advance and ask all guests to RSVP with the cookie recipe they plan to bring to the party (this helps to avoid duplicates).

~ Give suggestions or include a unique recipe on every invitation in case guests don’t have a favorite recipe they would like to share. Ask invitees to bring printed recipe copies, a plastic container for taking home treats and a half-dozen or one-dozen cookies for each attendee, depending on the number of guests.

~ Return the favor by turning the cookie exchange into a gifting party – provide gift tags, gift bags and ribbons, and invite guests to assemble cookie gifts for co-workers, neighbors, teachers and friends.

Have you ever hosted a cookie exchange party? What are some tips and pointers you would suggest?

[image used with permission from hershey's]

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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 get instant win prizes including one-day tickets and season passes to Six Flags or coupons redeemable for free packages of select Mars products.

In addition to the chance to win $1 million and thousands of instant win prizes, there’s also a virtual “haunted” mansion filled with heaps of creepy, cool fun. Mars has also created a “ghoulish” application featuring all of your favorite M&M’S characters in their Halloween costumes that is available on the M&M’S and Snickers fan pages on Facebook.

[image: flickr]

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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 promotion for the $15 box ends November 16th and the coupons need to be redeemed by November 21st. I think the coupons are good for both online orders (shipping is extra) or at “brick and mortar” stores as well.

Have you ever had the chocolate dipped Edible Arrangements? What did you think?

[image: edible arrangements]

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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 the catwalk in edible fashion themed around popular clothing trends of the past.

I’ve always wondered how chocolate and fashion survive together, and how the chocolate manages to not make a huge mess all over the wearer! The majority of these, though, look to just be chocolate and chocolate items attached to real clothing, so that probably helps.

Check out a bunch more photos of the chocolate fashion show under the cut!

[images: zuma press]

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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 our Free Cookie Day, as well as the frequent cookie card and coupon, will provide plenty of reason for people to celebrate and keep smiling.”

The chain is also said to be promoting other events and giveaways, but a lot of them are specific to each location, so you need to double check with yours!

[image: flickr]

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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 huge devoted following.

The Frrrozen Hot Chocolate concoction can be purchased online (along with a cute canister and other accessories), or you can try out the homemade version, sleuthed out by Epicurious.com!

Homemade Frrrozen Hot Chocolate

6 half-ounce pieces of a variety of your favorite chocolates
2 teaspoons storebought hot chocolate mix
1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
1 1/2 cups milk
3 cups ice
Whipped cream
Chocolate shavings

~ Chop the chocolate into small pieces and place it in the top of a double boiler over simmering water, stirring occasionally until melted. Add the cocoa and sugar, stirring constantly until thoroughly blended. Remove from heat and slowly add 1/2 cup of the milk and stir until smooth. Cool to room temperature.

~ In a blender place the remaining cup of milk, the room temperature chocolate mixture, and the ice. Blend on high speed until smooth and the consistency of a frozen daiquiri. Pour into a giant goblet and top with whipped cream and chocolate shavings.

[image: flickr]

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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]

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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 to celebrate patriotism and satisfy chocolate cravings across Canada and the United States, without even needing to be a guest,” said Mary Beth Parks, vice president of marketing for Doubletree Hotels. “We’re expecting to give out thousands of cookies to our guests and our communities this Canada Day and Independence Day – certainly more likely than any bakery or cookie company will sell on these special days!”

As always, the offer is good while supplies last and is limited to one cookie per person.

[image: flickr]

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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!

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