The True Meaning of the Candy Cane

 

The traditional candy cane came into being over 350 years ago, when white sugar sticks were used as soothers for babies. Around 1670, the choirmaster of Cologne Cathedral in Colonge, Germany, bent the sticks into canes to represent a shepards staff. He then handed out the white candy canes to keep the children quiet during the long Nativity service.

The use of candy canes during the Christmas service spread
quickly. In northern Europe, sugar canes decorated with sugar roses were used to brighten homes 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.

I have found two different legends or stories regarding the origin of the candy cane.
 

 

During the latter part of the 18th century in England, all religious symbols were banned from public display. Christians could no longer recognize one another by symbolic jewelry, clothing, etc. During this time it is told that there was a candy maker who set out to find some way for Christians to identify one another.

He began with a white candy to signify the virgin birth, the purity and the holiness of the Christ Child. Then he fashioned the candy into the shape of a shepherd's staff as a reminder that our Heavenly Father is the Good Shepherd. He then placed three small red stripes around the candy to represent the Holy Trinity (the Father, Son and Holy Spirit). Finally he placed a single bold red stripe throughout the candy to symbolize the blood Christ shed upon the cross for all mankind, and the forgiveness of sin.
 

  A candy maker in Indiana wanted to make a candy that would symbolize Jesus, so he made the Christmas Candy Cane. He began with a stick of pure white hard candy; white to symbolize the Virgin Birth of Jesus, hard to symbolize the Solid Rock, the firmness of the promises of God. The candy maker made this candy in the form of a "J" to represent the name of Jesus, and also 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.

Thinking that the candy was somewhat plain, the candy maker stained it with red stripes. He used three small stripes to show the stripes of scourging Jesus received by which we are healed. The large red stripe was for the blood shed by Christ at the cross.