Sweethearts launches ‘Situationship’ candy hearts for Valentine’s Day

Conversation hearts, those nostalgic pastel Valentine candies imprinted with sayings like “Be Mine” and “Cutie,” have officially entered the Tinder era.

If you’ve spent any time swiping on dating apps, you’ll quickly understand why there’s an “it’s complicated” relationship option on Facebook. So, in keeping up with the times, Sweethearts is selling limited-edition “Situationship Boxes,” advertising “messages as blurry as your relationships.”

The Situationship Boxes go on sale at 9 a.m. EST on Monday, Jan. 8 at SweetheartsCandies.com. Get them quick before they ghost you.

Conversation hearts — like other holiday candies, including candy corn and Peeps — have their fair share of fans and foes. The candies as we know them today have been around since the mid-1800s. A Boston pharmacist used a lozenge cutter to create the candies, and then, a couple decades later, his brother had the idea to use red vegetable dye to stamp the candies with words.

As it turns out, The New York Times reported, the messages printed on conversation hearts go through regular editing processes to keep up with the times. (The last time I indulged in a handful of the chalky, sugary sweets, I got one that said “Fax Me.”)

But one thing that’s remained consistent over the years? The messages on the heart-shaped candies have always been a little blurry. Now, Sweethearts is embracing the shortcoming, saying the messages are just like today’s dating landscape wherein your dating app matches can also be hard to read.

So, what exactly is a situationship? Oxford University Press, which named “situationship” a finalist for 2023 word of the year, defines it as “A romantic or sexual relationship that is not considered to be formal or established.” Those in situationships are more than friends, but less than committed romantic partners.

“Singles are taking ‘situationships’ to the next level this year, and Sweethearts is here for them,” said Evan Brock, vice president of marketing for Spangler Candy Company, in a news release. “The printing on Sweethearts isn’t always perfect. This is our way of embracing those imperfections in a way that taps into pop culture.”

So instead of messages like “4Ever” and “DM ME,” might it be time for the conversation heart messaging to be updated to “What’s Your Snap?” and “U Up?”