History of Christmas Candy Canes

My niece has already ordered me to give her lots of candy canes on this Christmas. Not that I don't give her chocolates and candies on other years, but on this Christmas she wants the red and white striped candy canes only and nothing else. She is so much like me. Even in my childhood I used to love munching the candy canes which were used as decoration purpose by my mother! There are lots of theories about the origin of the red and white striped crooked candy canes.
One of the legend says that originally the candy cane was a straight, hard, and all-white candy stick and a choirmaster at Cologne Cathedral in Germany, in 1670, first bent straight sugar sticks into canes and distributed among the children at church services. The candy somewhat represented a shepherd's stuff but it is not known whether the choirmaster had the 'Good Shepherd' in mind. Swedish town of Gränna first saw the Peppermint candy with red stripes in the mid-19th century and striped candy canes in the early 20th century. Legend says someone changed the existing form of candy which was already being used as a Christmas decoration (i.e. straight white sticks of sugar candy) and produced bent versions representing a shepherd's crook. This is strongest connection that can be made between the Christian symbolism and orgin of candy canes. It is also believed that the 'J' shape of the candy canes represents the name Jesus. The mass producing of them was started by a guy named Bob McCormack, around 1920, from Georgia and named Bob’s Candies.

This is the brief history of candy canes. I am looking for recipes to make candies at home . But that is to be left for the next post.






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