History of Christmas Candy Canes

For the first time this year I heard of the so called meaning of the candy canes associated by Christmas.

Our family went to a Christmas carols hosted by the combined churches in the area. (and although I am not a Christian, there is a certain wholesome and wondrous feeling when you are with hundreds of other people waving candles and lights around singing childhood songs. I am also not about to impress my beliefs into my kids and will allow them exposure to a variety of religious experiences and allow them to make their own minds up )

Santa appeared and handed out candy canes to all the children as the pastor narrated what they symbolized for all Christians. A student of history with a keen cynical streak, I could not help but wryly listen to the dogma being spewed out. I am very impressed - despite of myself, with the catholic church and the way they can twist and wind any sort of symbolism into whatever is around them to suit their own purposes. Symbolism is the most ancient and powerful forms of indoctrination and even the most unaware persons mind is open to accepting and integrating it into their lives.

Apparently, according to the pastor ( and other Christians I asked afterwards) they were designed as ‘J’s for Jesus, the three red stripes symbolizes the holy trinity. The red also symbolizes the sacrifice Jesus is about to make and the white for his purity. The hardness of the candy cane symbolizes the rock solidness of the church. I did hear something about the peppermint flavour of the candycanes too – but can’t recall it – I might do some internet search and see if its out there.

I can’t help but think the Catholics went a little overboard here – mixing up Easter messages and Christmas – intertwining the birth and death in one tiny sweet.

After a very quick search on the internet I found that candy canes originated in 1600s as a long lasting sweet to quieten the younger members of the choir as they sat waiting for their next hymn. The sweet was a white stick of harden rock. Until past the 1900s they remained in this form – many Christmas cards depicting them this way. The next few paragraphs are directly from several websites – they all say the same thing -

The traditional candy can was born over 350 years ago, when mothers used white sugar sticks as pacifiers for their babies. ( WHAT?????!!!) Around 1670, the choirmaster of Cologne Cathedral in Colonge, Germany, bent the sticks into canes to represent a shepards staff. He then used these white candy canes to keep the attention of small childern durring the long Nativity service.

The use of candy canes during the Christmas service spread through out Europe. In northern Europe, sugar canes decorated with sugar roses were used to brighten the home at Christmas time.

In the mid 1800's, the candy cane arrived in the U.S. when a German-Swedish immigrant in Wooster,Ohio , decorated his spruce tree with paper ornaments and white sugar canes. The red stripe was added to the candy cane at the turn of the century, when peppermint and wintergreen were added and became the traditional flavors for the candy cane.

So all very interesting huh?

I found a reference to say that when mechanics popularized the sweet making industry, an inventor made a way to make the hook – symbolizing the Shepherd’s crook. It was by pure mistake that red became part of the cane as it was a left over colour from another item he had been making.

So just goes to show – you can take a nice little tradition and make it mean anything you like…. Bit like the original Christmas and Easter huh?