Every Christmas, candy canes appear all over--as treats at stores, as decorations and as little gifts given by Santa Claus himself. Candy canes have become one of the symbols heralding the coming of the holiday season. But, where did this ubiquitous piece of Christmas come from?
During the 17th century, Europeans began to add Christmas trees to their holiday celebrations. These trees were decorated with sugary stick candy amongst other food items. In 1672, a choirmaster at a German cathedral ordered these sugary sticks from a local confectioner to give to children during services. He had the confectioner bend the sticks into canes in order to represent the shepherds' staffs. Instead of being striped, these candy canes were entirely white. They were handed out to children during lengthy advent services to help keep them quiet. This action began a tradition of clergymen handing out candy canes to children during services. The practice would spread through Europe and eventually the United States.
The first record of candy canes in America itself comes from 1847. This record indicates that August Imgard, a German immigrant, decorated his tree with candy canes. So, in a relatively short amount of time candy canes became a big part of Christmas!
As far as the stripes, a recipe for a striped peppermint stick first appeared in 1844. However, striped candy canes do not appear in post cards before 1900. Up to that point, the canes were white. So, it is believed that our familiar striped peppermint candy canes did not become the norm until the 20th century.
Interested in making these treats yourself? The Farmer's Almanac has a recipe for candy canes. Of course, we have some wonderful made in the U.S.A. candy canes, too!
All together, not much is known about the history of candy canes. However, there are a few good sources. For more information about the history of candy canes, check these sources:
Candy Canes: History, Lore, Recipes and More! in the Farmer's Almanac
Candy Cane on Wikipedia
History of Candy Canes on About.com
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