The National Confectioners Association (NCA) celebrates International Chocolate Day on Sept. 13. There's only one way to celebrate chocolate and that is by eating it.

Tell us in comments: Where is your favorite place to get chocolate in Howard County?

Sure we know that chocolate can be high in calories and apparently it's very bad for dogs. But there are plenty of good reasons to eat chocolate, even if it's not Sept. 13.

• According to the NCA, U.S. chocolate manufacturers use about 3.5 million pounds of whole milk every day to make chocolate.
• WebMD reports that dark chocolate  (but not milk chocolate or dark chocolate eaten with milk) is a potent antioxidant.  Antioxidants gobble up free radicals, destructive molecules that are implicated in heart disease and other ailments.
• WebMD reports that dark chocolate (not white chocolate) lowers high blood pressure. Eating more dark chocolate can help lower blood pressure--if you've reached a certain age and have mild high blood pressure, say the researchers. But you have to balance the extra calories by eating less of other things.

So you have license to go chocolate crazy today. Check out the handmade chocolates at Sweet Cascades Chocolatier in Ellicott City for a selection of treats, including candy and chocolate dipped pretzels and its famous chocolate- covered grilled cheese and bacon sandwich.

Touche Touchet in Columbia is another spot to hit for a chocolate fix, as well as  the Silver Arrow Fudge shop in Ellicott City.

Have another place in Howard County that you hit up for chocolate? Tell us in comments.