Everything You Wanted to Know About the Candy Cane

Candy canes are one of my favourite things to have on hand during the holidays.  There are so many yummy recipes and fun crafts to make.  I hope you find inspiration to bake or create after reading my post.

Delight your guests with this candy cane cake.

Kids, both big and small, will like these candy cane cakes.  Bon Appetite!

Candy Cane bark is a favourite of mine.

Legend of the Candy Cane

Long ago, in the 1600′s, Germans attended living nativities at church.  The mass was long and it was difficult for children to sit still through the long service.  Young choir members fidgeted and became restless.  One day the choir director decided to give the children white sticks of candy, in the shape of a “J”, to signify the staff of Jesus Christ.

The tradition of passing out white candy sticks at live nativity masses spread throughout Europe, and eventually people started to decorate their Christmas tree with these candy sticks.

Eventually the idea of decorating a tree with these candy sticks spread overseas, and in 1847, August Imgard decorated a spruce tree in Wooster, Ohio.  He placed many white sticks and paper ornaments on that spruce tree, and created the first candy cane tree in the USA.

In the late 1800′s a candy maker wanted to create a candy signifying his faith in Jesus Christ.  This candy maker started with a white stick of candy, signifying the fact that Jesus was good and pure.  Next, he shaped the candy into a “J” for Jesus Christ.  He decided to add red stripes to represent the suffering that Jesus encurred.  Finally, the candymaker added peppermint because it was like hysopp, a herb mentioned in the old testament.

Today, people everywhere are decorating their Christmas trees with candy canes.  Unfortunately, the significance of the shape and colour of the candy cane was forgotten and is a commercial symbolism rather than a religous one.

When we decorate our trees this year, let us reflect on the symbolism of the candy cane.

Children’s Candy Cane Colouring Pages

Colouring Page site

Candy Cane from The Color site

Fun Candy Cane characters

Candy Cane Gingerbread House

For many years I used to make a gingerbread house from scratch.  I’m thinking of doing one again this year and found a wonderful recipe and tutorial.

Fun Flickr Links

A darling little candy cane is running to catch up to Santa

Yummy candy cane cupcakes

The cutest little houses in Candycaneville.

Candy Cane merry go round

Martha Stewart Loves Candy Canes Too

Candy Cane Carousel

Turning a plain candy cane into a cute reindeer is a good thing

Ways to use up leftover candy cane

Elegant Topiaries

For the chocolate lover there is Triple Chocolate Peppermint Triffle

Peppermint Eggnog anyone?

This was a very fun post to put together.  Even I learned something new on my quest to entertain you.

Happy Holidays

Beth

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