Christmas Candy Cane

Christmas is a time of decorations and traditional treats. There are many things, which symbolize Christmas and one of the emblems is the candy cane. These white and red candy sticks are used as a Christmas treat and a decoration for the tree. There are many legends and stories about its origin and how it became the part of tradition. Many believed that it was designed to symbolize Jesus. The colors of the candy white represented purity, the red represented the blood of Christ on cross and the hardness defined the strength of the Lord. In modern times, the candy cane has been used in various forms. They can be used as decorations, cocktails, theme parties, and crafts for kids as well. Bring the freshness and sweetness of Christmas by having candy canes as your theme. You can also teach the importance of this sweet to the next generation by innovative and creative presentation. Check out the article for the symbolism related to Christmas cane candy.

Importance Of Christmas Candy Cane

Origin:
The origin of candy cane goes back to 350 years. In the early years, the candy cane was simple white color sugar sticks. Although it was popular, the confectionaries were handmade, time intensive and laborious process. Storage was also difficult. The legend has it that a hook shaped candy canes is credited to a choirmaster at Cologne Cathedral in Germany. The bent shaped represented the shepherd's crook. The shepherd's staff is often used in Christianity as a simile for the good shepherd ‘Jesus Christ. ‘

The White Candy
They were straight, white sticks of sugar candy. They were given to the children, to keep them silent, while the elders went on with the church activities and ceremonies associated with nativity scenes. White was considered as pure. In Christianity, white symbolized purity of virgin birth. That is why a bride walks down the aisle in a white wedding gown on her wedding day. The pure white in the candy cane represents the piousness of Christ. The white of the candy cane reminds you that Christ was sinless. Christ, the God-man, lived a perfect life. He never sinned once. This is testified to in many passages of the Bible.

The Rock Candy
This candy cane is made of rock like hardness. It has a religious meaning to its rock firmness. In bible, it is mentioned that rock symbolized the Christ, the believer and foundation of church. The solid rock like hardness of candy cane became the symbol of Christ. For the believers in Christ it symbolized the salvation, strength, and defense of their life.

The J Shaped Candy Cane
The "J" of the candy cane stands for Jesus. Many believed that the candy maker made it in the shape of ‘J' to symbolize the precious name of Jesus. According to bible, it represents the staff of "Good Shepherd'. He reaches down into the ditches of the world to lift out the fallen lambs that, like all sheep, have gone astray (Isaiah 53:6). Later on these hook shaped of the candy cane were used to hang on the Christmas tree for decorations.

The Red And White Striped Candy
The three small red stripes and a large red stripe on the candy were introduced in the early 20th century. The red stripes represented the plight of Jesus when crucified. It symbolized the bloodshed on the cross by Christ. The red stripes twisting around the white stick of sugar candy was made in a like manner to a barber's pole. Later on around this time, peppermint flavor was introduced to it.

Use Of Christmas Candy As Decoration
The candy cane decorations appeared around 17th century. In Europe, the practice of celebrating Christmas became popular using Christmas tree. People started decorating their trees with fancy stuff, ornaments, and food items. It is around this time the candy became practical for decorating the Yule log. Evidences show that the Christmas trees were first decorated with white candy canes, and then in the 20th century came the striped and hooked ones. This tradition spread to the rest of the continent and became popular with the festival. Ever since candy canes, are a favorite ornamental decoration on the Christmas tree.