Few sweets say “Christmas” quite like the candy cane, but it wasn’t always this way. In fact the Christmas holiday as we know it today only evolved about 200 years ago, when key elements — like gift-giving and Christmas trees — were introduced in Germany. The peppermint candy cane has similar Germanic ties; but unlike Christmas Day, profoundly significant from its origin, the candy cane was imbued with meaning over time.
From simple beginnings, the candy cane evolved in form and function to become a sweet and subtle symbol of Christian faith.
Simple beginnings of the candy cane
The red-and-white, peppermint-flavored, hooked stick of sugar that graces all manner of Christmas items today bears little resemblance to its original form: a simple, white rod of sugar. These were popular in Germany as an edible decoration during the 17th century, and a charming myth connects them with Christmas:
Noisy children in church seems to be a timeless dilemma. This sweet-but-unverified story tells of a German choirmaster who, worried about restless children disrupting the long Christmas mass at the Cologne Cathedral in 1670, had a bright idea for keeping the kids quiet while they weren’t singing.
“Let’s give them candy,” he said. Sound familiar? Well, just giving out candy in church at that time was not exactly acceptable; so he added a layer of meaning. He requested hooked sugar sticks from the candy maker, shaped like a staff to remind the children of the shepherds who visited Baby Jesus at the nativity scene.
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Although it is more historically likely that the crooked shape came in answer to another practical problem (that of getting them to stay on the Christmas tree), the form has come to represent Jesus as the “Good Shepherd.”
The significant stripes
The next step in symbolic evolution came much later. The simple hooked sugar stick remained white until the end of the 19th century, when American candy makers began experimenting with colors and flavors. A certain confectioner named Bob McCormack is said to be responsible for introducing the now-traditional, red-and-white swirls to his hand-twisted and hand-bent canes around 1920.
What started out as a cheerful marketing gimmick enjoyed immense success in the 1950s when McCormack’s brother-in-law, a Catholic priest by the name of Gregory H. Keller, invented the first “candy cane forming machine” (patent #2,956,520). Automation made it possible for McCormack to efficiently mass-produce his candy canes, effectively quashing competition and ensuring that his red-and-white candy canes became the norm.
The symbolism, again, followed after the fact. White naturally represents purity, and it came to symbolize Jesus’ miraculous, virgin birth and a life free from sin. The red stripe is now taken to symbolize Jesus’ blood, and the sacrifice He made for the salvation of mankind. The three smaller stripes, seen alongside the main one in many candy canes, are said to represent the Holy Trinity — perhaps a thoughtful suggestion from Father Keller.
A minty mistake
The peppermint flavor most commonly associated with candy canes can also be traced back to McCormack, and a shipping incident:
A large flavoring order got botched in the early 1920’s, resulting in a shipment that was completely peppermint, rather than the assortment of flavors that was usually sent. McCormack was not a wasteful man, and used the unexpected surplus of peppermint to flavor his candy canes.
The product was instantly popular, partly since peppermint was already associated with other Christmas candies. Competitor candy makers followed his lead, and by the mid-1900s, peppermint was practically the “official” flavor of candy canes.
But, is there symbolism related to the flavor? You bet. Peppermint is also reminiscent of hyssop, another member of the mint family. Hyssop was a prominent herb in purification rituals during biblical times, and, more significantly, it was used as a means to comfort Jesus as He suffered on the cross.
Now there was set a vessel full of vinegar: and they filled a spunge with vinegar, and put it upon hyssop, and put it to his mouth. John 19:29
Like a rock
Finally, the hard candy serves as a reminder to be firm in our faith. “Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord God is an everlasting rock.” Deuteronomy 32:24
So, whether you enjoy your candy canes on a tree, in your mouth, in your cocoa or on a cookie, try to remember that, from their form and flavor to the color and the crunch, they are steeped in symbolism. Fill your heart with gratitude and faith in the Divine this Christmas, and it will be candy-cane sweet.
Merry Christmas from all of us at Vision Times!
