Tradition of the Candy Cane

Think a candy cane is just a yummy garnish in your hot cocoa (well, it does serve that purpose well, doesn’t it?) Here’s a little trivia that might get you thinking otherwise:

• The candy cane begins with a stick of white candy, which symbolizes the purity of the Christmas season.
• The red stripes are for the blood shed by Christ on the cross for the benefit of our eternal life.
• The hook shape of the candy cane is actually a “J” to represent the name of Jesus, or may symbolize the staff of the Good Shepherd.
• The candy’s hard texture represents the Solid Rock, which is the foundation of the church and the firmness of God’s promises.

I am so privileged to live just twenty minutes away from the “World’s Largest Christmas Store”, Bronner’s, of Frankenmuth, Michigan. I will blog more on that later with photos and everything, but I wanted to note that this little do-dad came from their catalog. There are several traditions and legends explained in there, so keep watching for more of these fun factoids.