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Relationships

The sweet secret to couple's 79-year-long marriage

When it comes to maintaining a happy relationship, every couple has their own trick. But for one pair, the secret may be just as simple as sharing chocolate every day.

Curtis, 100, and Virginia Peters, 103, have been married for 79 years – and their long-lasting union has been credited to their shared love of Hershey’s chocolate.

According to Susan Peters Cathoir, one of the couple’s five children, the chocolate brand “melts in their mouth just the way they want it”.

She told TODAY Food that her parents, who tied the knot in 1940, kept the classic candy as a staple in their house, with stocks of Hershey’s Kisses in candy bowls and bars in the kitchen. They would also melt the bars for the family to dip their ice cream into.

The couple has continued to stick to their daily ritual of sharing a chocolate bar, even after they moved to a nursing home. Knowing their parents’ love for the brand, the children would bring a lot of chocolate with them on their visits so the Peters can enjoy them.

“I always leave chocolate in their drawer so in case I can’t make it or I’m late, one of the [nurses] can make sure they still get it,” said Cathoir.

According to the daughter, her father will open the bar’s packaging and break off a piece for his wife, or a nurse will feed off a bite to each of them.

“He shares it with her all the time – he shares everything with her and she with him.”

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Food & wine, Relationships, Lifestyle, Family & pets, marriage