Jacob Bembry, Greene Publishing, Inc.
Originally used as a device to keep children quiet and focused on the real meaning of Christmas, the candy cane is now a staple of the holiday seasons.
In 1670, a German choirmaster noticed children getting fidgety and bored during church services. Due to their length, it was usually the hardest to get children to be still and stay focused during Christmas services.
Years after employing such techniques as threats and spankings, the choirmaster hit upon an idea that many of the congregation saw as bordering on bribery. He had a candy maker bend white sticks of hard candy into the shape of a shepherd’s staff. He chose this because it would take the children a long time to eat it. He figured that the longer they licked the candy, the quieter they would remain.
Realizing that many in the church did not approve of the candy, the choirmaster created a holiday lesson to justify giving the candy to the children. Before the service, he would hand out the candy and explain to the children that the candy had been shaped into a shepherds’ staff to remind them of the shepherds’ role that first Christmas. He also reminded them that Jesus was known as the Good Shepherd.
Within 100 years, the candy cane became a tasty Christmas decoration and was placed on Christmas trees throughout Europe. The tradition was carried to England when Prince Albert married Queen Victoria. After the War Between the States, the candy canes were added to American Christmas trees.
Bob McCormick, a candy maker from Albany, Ga., began experimenting with candy canes in the 1920s and found a way to hand twist colors into them. Once they hit the market, sales of his colorful canes quickly outpaced those of the traditional white canes.
Using McCormick’s method, an Indiana candy maker added three red stripes to the previously solid white canes. He came up with a story to explain the legend of the candy cane.
The legend the Indiana candy maker told was that the three stripes represent the Trinity and the red color stands for the blood Jesus shed on Calvary for the sins of the world. The white stands for purity and the crook symbolizes the staff of a shepherd. Turning the cane upside down, he pointed out that it was now the letter “J,” standing for Jesus, the babe in the manger.
As the story spread, churches began to give out candy canes to children. Today, the tradition continues with some placing the canes on Christmas packages along with the bows. Others give candy canes as gifts in the stocking. It makes for an awesome evangelism tool during the Christmas season.