As Christmas approaches, stores throughout the U.S. have situated their mall Santas, put out wreaths and lined both trees and give-away bowls with candy canes — one of the most popular treats around this time of year.
Candy canes rank as the most loved Christmas candy in several states, including Delaware, Georgia, Maine, Pennsylvania and Washington, according to CandyStore.com, which surveyed more than 50,000 customers this year. Like hot chocolate, frosted cookies and fruitcakes, candy canes are an integral part of the holiday season’s edible treats. The U.S. produces at least 1.76 billion candy canes every year and 90% of them are sold in the weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas.
Candy canes, which seem to just taste better during the month of December, are currently everywhere, being used either as decoration, a pacifier or a stirring stick for a mintier cup of coffee. But what’s the real candy cane story? How did the treat become so ubiquitous?
Peppermint and candy sticks date back to at least the 17th century in Europe. But candy canes themselves did not make their way to the U.S. until the 1800s — despite the many myths surrounding the original candy cane story.
The first documented use of candy canes in the U.S. dates back to 1847, when German-Swedish immigrant August Imgard decorated a blue spruce tree with candy canes and paper ornaments, according to the National Confectioners Association, a group that advocates for the confectionery industry. Candy canes likely spread during that time as a popular tree ornament, according to Susan Benjamin, a writer and historian of sugar, sweets and candy.
“People wanted to put the candy canes on the tree as a way to decorate it, and the hook was really just added as a way to hold it,” Benjamin told the Charleston Gazette-Mail in 2015. “So, it morphed out of the candy stick and into the candy cane.”
The red and white stripes and minty flavor did not take hold as a massively popular treat until the 1950s, when the production of candy canes became automated. Prior to that point, local candymakers would laboriously twist the peppermint candy into edible sweets.
Still, the history of the candy cane is mired in folklore, particularly among those who argue that the sweet is a symbol of Christianity. One legend suggests that an Indiana-based candymaker shaped the peppermint stick into a “J” shape to represent Jesus, with the white stripe symbolizing the purity of his birth and the red stripe later added to acknowledge the blood he shed on the cross. This origin claim has been debunked, as white candy and peppermint sticks existed in the 1600s — long before Indiana was even created, according to the myth-busting website Snopes.
Another persistent tale explaining the origin story of the candy cane says a 1600s German choirmaster made peppermint candy sticks, which were a popular treat, in the shape of a cane to quiet down rowdy choir boys — the cane shape was intended to represent a shepherd’s staff. Much like the Indiana legend, this rumor has little evidence to back it up, apart from the fact that churchgoers did like to eat candy sticks.
FAQs
It is said that in 1670, the choirmaster at a cathedral in Cologne, Germany sought a solution to keep the children quiet during their lengthy Living Creche ceremony held on Christmas Eve. He began giving out sugar sticks to help appease the children as they patiently waited for their turn to sing.
Why are candy canes associated with Christmas? ›
Religious affiliation
A common story of the origin of candy canes says that in 1670, in Cologne, Germany, the choirmaster at Cologne Cathedral, wishing to remedy the noise caused by children in his church during the Living Crèche tradition of Christmas Eve, asked a local candy maker for some "sugar sticks" for them.
How many candy canes are made during Christmas? ›
1.76 BILLION candy canes are produced every year. 3. December 26th is National Candy Cane Day. 4.
How did peppermint become associated with Christmas? ›
The big mystery is when confectioners started to add peppermint to candy canes, which were a Christmastime treat. The unconfirmed legend of the candy cane itself is that a German choirmaster asked the candy maker to add a shepherd's crook to the candy stick to remind kids of the nativity scene, but nobody really knows.
What does an upside down candy cane mean? ›
This hard candy was shaped so it would resemble a “J” for Jesus or, turned upside down, a shepherd's staff. He made it white to represent the purity of Christ.
What does the Bible say about candy canes? ›
(Psalm 31:3). Next the candy maker made the candy in the shape of a 'J' for the name of Jesus who came to earth as our Savior (Matt 1:21, Acts 4:12). When the candy was turned upside down, it is the shape of the Good Shepherd's staff (John 10:11). "I am the good shepherd.
What are some fun facts about candy canes? ›
10 Sweet Facts About Candy Canes
- THEY'VE BEEN AROUND SINCE THE 17TH CENTURY. ...
- A GERMAN IMMIGRANT BROUGHT THE TRADITION TO THE STATES. ...
- THEY HAVEN'T ALWAYS BEEN STRIPED. ...
- THEY'RE A (RELATIVELY) VIRTUOUS HOLIDAY TREAT. ...
- THEY DON'T ALWAYS FIT ON A CHRISTMAS TREE. ...
- EVERYONE HAS THEIR OWN WAY OF EATING THEM.
“Legend has it that the candy cane dates back to 1670, when the choirmaster at the Cologne Cathedral in Germany handed out sugar sticks among his young singers to keep them quiet during the Living Creche ceremony,” Schildhaus says. “In honor of the occasion, he bent the candies into shepherds' crooks.”
What is the legend of the candy cane? ›
Another persistent tale explaining the origin story of the candy cane says a 1600s German choirmaster made peppermint candy sticks, which were a popular treat, in the shape of a cane to quiet down rowdy choir boys — the cane shape was intended to represent a shepherd's staff.
What does peppermint have to do with Christmas? ›
By the 1950s the company dominated the candy cane market. Christians believe the red stripes represent the shed blood of Christ, the white is seen as a symbol of purity, and the peppermint represents hyssop, associated with purification in the Old Testament.
Cane: Is like the staff used by the shepherds in caring for sheep. Jesus is our “Good Shepherd.” The Color Red: Is for God's love that sent Jesus to give his life for us on the cross. The Stripes: Remind us of Jesus' suffering-his crown of thorns, the wounds in his hands and feet; and the cross on which he died.
What does a broken candy cane mean? ›
It also reminds us of the spices brought by the Wise Men when they came to visit Jesus (Psalm 51:7, John 10:29, Matthew 2:11). Broken For Us: Of course, when the candy cane is eaten, it is often broken, which the candy maker meant as a reminder that when Jesus was crucified, his body was broken (I Cor. 11:24).
What does the red stripe mean on a candy cane? ›
• He used three small stripes to show the stripes of the beating Jesus received by which we are healed. • The large red stripe was for the blood shed by Christ on the cross so that we could have eternal life. • Unfortunately, the candy became known as a Candy Cane - a meaningless decoration seen at Christmas time.
What is a significant symbol of Christmas is the simple candy cane? ›
The white of the cane can represent the purity of Jesus Christ and the red stripes are for the blood he shed when he died on the cross. The peppermint flavor can represent the hyssop plant that was used for purifying in the Bible.
Why is Santa associated with Christmas? ›
Santa Claus, legendary figure who is the traditional patron of Christmas in the United States and other countries, bringing gifts to children. His popular image is based on traditions associated with Saint Nicholas, a 4th-century Christian saint. Father Christmas fills the role in many European countries.
What does the church candy mean? ›
• White to symbolize the Virgin Birth and the sinless nature of Jesus, • And hard to symbolize the Solid Rock, the foundation of the Church and firmness of the promises of God. • He made the candy in the form of a "J" to represent the name of Jesus, who came to earth as our Savior.
What is the story of the candy cane stripes? ›
Legends of stories about the candy cane abounded, such as it being a secret code among persecuted Christians in Germany or England in the seventeenth century (both were Christian nations at the time, so why be secret?); a secret language among the Christian faithful depending on the stripes (three stripes represented ...
