Candy Canes

 

What are Candy Canes?

Candy canes are a hard candy stick shaped as a cane. Candy Canes are traditionally white with red stripes and usually flavored with peppermint or cinnamon. Candy Canes are extremely popular in the US but hardly known as a Christmas icon in the UK. Candy canes are enjoyed by children and are sometimes used as Christmas tree ornaments, their shape making them easy to hang on the tree. Ingredients used in the US for making Candy Canes originally included corn syrup, sugar, peppermint flavoring and starch.

 

The Meaning of Candy Canes

Candy canes are shaped in a form similar to the letter 'J' which some say are in reference to the name of Jesus. Others believe the origin was to provide a replica of shepherd's crooks, the shepherds formed part of the Nativity story in the Bible.

 

The Origin of Candy Canes

Candy Canes originated in Germany and were introduced by a Cologne cathedral choirmaster in the 1670's. In 1859 Amalia Eriksson, Granna, Sweden, devised the manufacture of alternating red (peppermint) and white striped rock candy in 1859. Candy canes became popular in the United States in the 1920s when Bob McCormack of Albany, Georgia produced them in large numbers.

 

Candy Canes

Christmas is celebrated worldwide, throughout the Christian population of approximately 2275 million people, but is also celebrated by many non-Christians as a secular, cultural festival. A Christmas custom or tradition is symbolized by a familiar symbol or icon, such as the Candy Canes,  have come to represent the spirit and meaning of this special time of the year.