Candy canes are a staple of the holidays. Whether it’s on your tree, in your cocoa, or just eaten as a plain snack, it is undeniable that candy canes play a big role in the Christmas season. But, where did these undeniable delicacies come from? Who invented them? And what is their deeper meaning?
According to the National Confectioners Association, candy canes are the number one selling non-chocolate during the month of December; with 90% of these striped treats being sold between Thanksgiving and Christmas.Their popularity is unquestionable, with over 1.76 billion candy canes created annually, but where exactly did they get their start?
Legend has it that these red and white candies date back to the 1670s when a choirmaster at the Cologne Cathedral in Germany handed out these sugar sticks to keep his choirboys quiet during nativity ceremonies. Eventually the sugar sticks were bent to mimic the shape of a shepherd’s staff. There were also rumors that the board at the church complained that a sugary treat had no place in a church, so it was bent into a cane shape to add some religious reference.
However, it’s just as likely Germans added the hook to hang them from trees, alongside cookies, fruits and other treats. It was a common tradition at the time to use dried food as ornaments for their trees.
Most people however believe that the all white candy cane debuted in the U.S. in Ohio when August Imgard, a German-Swedish immigrant, decorated a small blue spruce with paper ornaments and candy canes.
While the red and white striped sweet is an iconic principle of the holidays, before they were mass produced they were more likely all white. Based on old christmas cards, we know that stripes did not appear until after the 19th century. During the 20th century the peppermint flavor and red stripes emerged as the dominant choice. The peppermint was a natural animal deterrent, making it practical to hang on trees.
While other theories state that the stripes were formed as a secret code between Christians in Germany and England in the 17th century. The red color was a symbol of the blood of Jesus for his sacrifice. And the shape was an homage to a “J” for Jesus’s name.
Although the origin is not officially known, the candy cane remains a symbol of the holiday spirit and tradition.
