National Hot Chocolate Day

Apparently, January 31st every year is National Hot Chocolate Day. A day in which indulgent hot drinks are celebrated and we are all encouraged to purchase and indulge. It is most likely engineered by corporations to improve profits but as holidays go, it sounds too sweet to miss out on.

My Wife

My wife loves hot chocolate but only certain types of hot chocolate.

• If it is homemade with powder then it has to be Cadbury’s and more specifically, the Cadbury’s that you merely have to add hot water to
• Costa Coffee. This is number one on her list. I am unsure as to what it is about Costa but this is her favourite hot chocolate to take away
• In terms of home machines, she does have a soft spot for the Velvetiser. The Hotel Chocolat invention that melts chocolate flakes and terms them into an addictive drink.

Any other type of hot chocolate is doomed to be a failure and apart from countries which specialise in chocolate such as Belgium, this encompasses most of the world.

A recent highlight has been our Christmas trip to Bruges and the block of chocolate that we were able to dunk into machined hot chocolate. That was really nice. A highlight.

You could make the argument that my wife is fussy and you would be 100% correct. She is when it comes to many things but then again, what I have come to love about her is that you have high standards, then when you achieve a victory, it feels more rewarding.

Finding her the Velvetiser last Christmas was a huge triumph on my part. Without wishing to pat myself on the back it was rewarding and really emphasised that it is much better to give than receive, as whilst getting presents is amazing, it’s not everything in life.

Me

I am a coffee drinker. Have been for many years and need to start my day with at least two drinks to ensure continued momentum in what I am looking to achieve. If I do not get my coffee then I can be groggy and not able to focus. Something that is most likely an addiction but I am happy to be addicted in this case.

Hot Chocolate on the other hand is something reserved for holiday treats such as Belgium. Having fresh hot chocolate melted into the drink is something that brings a smile to my face and a reason for getting out of bed to explore the surrounding area.

I mean whilst I love travelling and exploring new ways of life, it is the individual experiences that give you a reason to wake up early. To treat the time as a holiday rather than a lazy weekend.

I will have around one hot chocolate a month and that is not because I do not like them, it is because I see them as a treat, rather than a guarantee. Coffee is a guarantee and a part of my morning ritual. If I drank as many hot chocolates each week as coffee, then most likely I would be speaking to a doctor about a diabetes diagnosis.

National Hot Chocolate Day

As this is only a few days after my birthday I think that this year I will change. Tuesdays are office days and I will be looking to substitute my usual morning coffees with one coffee and one hot chocolate. A sweet treat to begin the day whilst also stabilising myself with my typical coffee.

A treat and an acceptable one at that to ensure that I close out the month with a special treat and as there are Costa across my route to work, I will follow my wife’s lead. Grab a decadent hot chocolate as well as my free cake. Ensuring that my treat will be complete and I can contemplate growing an extra year older.

34 is a large number and I am rapidly approaching middle age. An age of responsibility with more lines on my face than I would like to count. More years etched into my eyes and more heartache than when I first woke. A sweet treat is a quick and easy way to reverse this trend. To roll back the years and bring a smile to my face.

This will be my reason for embracing the holiday this year and whilst I know that it is designed by companies to generate income. It means little to anyone but to me, this year it will mean that I am still young at heart. I have the passion and drive to move forward whilst also keeping in mind everything that I have and still have to do in my life.

A Final Thought

National Hot Chocolate Day has been created by organisations to generate revenue. To improve the amount of money in their banks but then you can make this argument for every holiday in the world. Easter, Christmas, New Year and Valentine’s Day. All holidays have been created for commercial gain.

Despite the pessimistic view that all of these holidays have been created for commercial gain, we can all choose to see what we want in life. I do so regularly and intend to do the same for National Hot Chocolate Day

I want to embrace my inner child and savour the purchased hot chocolate as a special birthday treat. This is how I will see this year’s National Hot Chocolate Day and where I will focus my thoughts.

We all want to be good. To stay healthy. To eat right and exercise well but despite all of this, we are still human. We want to treat ourselves when we can as what is life without a treat or a moment to indulge?

It’s boring and full of the average when the consideration that we are most striving for is change, to ensure that each and every day is full of new and exciting memories.