Teach About Jesus with The Legend Of The Candy Cane — The Better Mom (2024)

FAQs

What does the candy cane represent Jesus? ›

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.

There is a legend about how the candy cane was made. The story says that a candy maker wanted to make a very special piece of candy to remind the children about Jesus. The red color reminds us of Jesus's blood that was shed when we died on the cross. But it is twisted with white.

White Candy: Stands for Jesus as the holy, sinless Son of God. The letter “J”: Is for the Name of Jesus, our Savior. Cane: Is like the staff used by the shepherds in caring for sheep. Jesus is our “Good Shepherd.”

One popular tale traces it back to a German choirmaster seeking a solution to keep children calm during Christmas Eve services. The candy's crook symbolized shepherds, while the red and white stripes embodied the purity of Christ.

(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.

Thus, the Candy Cane's shape signifies a Shepherd's staff to remind us Jesus is the Good Shepherd and when turned upside down it forms a “J” for Jesus. The white candy stripes represent the virgin birth and the red represent the shedding of Jesus' blood for our sins. The candy is hard because Jesus is our ROCK!

The Bible tells us that before he was crucified, Jesus was beaten with a whip which made blood-red stripes across his back. The Bible says that we are healed by those stripes. The stripes on the candy cane should remind us that Jesus suffered and died, so that we can have everlasting life.

Legend goes that a candy maker from Indiana was trying to make a candy that would help everyone remember what Christmas is all about. He hit upon the idea for a candy cane. He incorporated several symbols for the birth, ministry, and death of Jesus. His creation began with a pure white hard candy.

The pattern of the candy cane stripes are not an accident, either. The three small stripes represent the scourging Jesus received on the Road to Gethsemane. The large red stripe is for the blood shed by Christ on the cross so that we could have the promise of eternal life.

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.

What does the candy cane symbolize for kids? ›

The hard candy symbolizes Jesus' strength, dependability, and unfailing love. The white candy represents purity and the holiness and sinless nature of Jesus. It can also symbolize the forgiveness we receive from God that makes our souls white.

• 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.

The candymaker made the candy in the form of a “J” to represent the precious name of Jesus, who came to earth as our Savior. It could also represent the staff of the “Good Shepherd” with which He reaches down into the ditches of the world to lift out the fallen lambs who, like all sheep, have gone astray.

It's more than a hard candy

He made it white to represent the purity of Christ. Finally, a red stripe was added to represent the blood Christ shed for the sins of the world, and three thinner red stripes for the stripes He received on our behalf when the Roman soldiers whipped Him.

“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.”

The mark of Cain is God's promise to offer Cain divine protection from premature death with the stated purpose of preventing anyone from killing him. It is not known what the mark was, but it is assumed that the mark was visible.

A Christmas legend

There's some mystery surrounding the origins of candy canes because there are no exact records of their invention. One well-regarded story suggests that in 1670, a choirmaster in Cologne, Germany, gave out sugar sticks to the children as a way to soothe them during the long nativity ceremony.

In 1847, he made a candy to symbolize Christ. The cane's "J" shape stands for Jesus; when turned upside-down, it becomes a shepherd's staff. The white color signifies purity; the red represents Christ's blood, shed for the world's sins, and three red stripes symbolize the trinity.