History of the Candy Cane

The origin of the candy cane has a long history steeped in tradition and folklore. Legend has it that it was created in Germany by a mid-17th-century choirmaster and the candy spread worldwide. It is often believed that the Germans designed the hook on the candy cane to hang it from the Christmas tree, instead of representing the shepherd’s crook. Peppermint flavoring was not added until the 18th century. It was not until the turn of the 20th century that the red and white stripes were added. The mass production of the candy cane we know today began in the 1920’s. The candy cane has come a long way since it was first designed.

350 years ago, candy makers used to prepare hard sugar-flavored stick candies. According to the tale, in 1670, a choirmaster at Cologne Cathedral was the first to have the candy bent into shepherd’s crooks. He then gave these candies to the children at the Christmas Eve service to help keep them quiet and to remind them of the shepherds who visited the infant Jesus. It soon became a custom and spread to the surrounding areas, then shortly it spread to Europe and eventually to America with immigration. This story is one of the main reasons the candy cane is associated with Christmas.

The first person documented to have used the peppermint candy cane as a Christmas Tree decoration in the United States was a German-Swedish emigrant named August Imgard. August lived in Wooster, Ohio, with his wife and children. In 1847, August was homesick for his birthplace and decided to bring some German traditions and customs to his new home. So he took some candy canes and paper ornaments he had made and he hung them on a small spruce. Since peppermint is a natural pest deterrent, it is thought that perhaps some Germans had originally used peppermint oil (and later peppermint candy canes) in Germany to prevent rodents from living in the cut trees, and August had brought the custom over with him.

The candy cane has religious references in the way it is traditionally made, shaped, and colored, which is not surprising since its folklore is heaped with Christianity. The letter J is for Jesus. Made into a hard candy to remind us that Jesus is a rock to build our faith on. The peppermint flavor represents the gifts that the wise men, the Magi, gave when Jesus was born. The candy cane is a crook to remind us of shepherds and that Jesus is the “Good Shepard.” The white color symbolizes that Jesus is the holy, sinless Son of God. The color red is for God’s love reminding us that He sent His Son, Jesus, to give His life for us on the cross. The stripes represent the suffering of Jesus when He wore His crown of thorns, with the wounds on His hands and feet as He hung on the cross before He died. This is what I learned about the candy cane in Sunday School as a child.

In the 1920s, Bob McCormack of Albany, Georgia, started mass-producing by hand for his company, Bob’s Candies. Since Bob had to make each candy cane by hand, it was a laborious process, and he made it for the local children. Things changed for him and his company in 1957, when his brother-in-law, Gregory Keller, an ordained Roman Catholic priest living in Little Rock, Arkansas, patented his invention, The Keller Machine. This new mechanism could twist and shape the candy into canes with minimal breakage, further increasing production and customer base.

Candy canes have come a long way since they were first introduced to the world by the Germans. They have gone from a plain sugar treat to a multi-flavor smorgasbord, with a taste to suit anyone. Their colors range from traditional red and white to the untraditional black and purple. The candy has come a long way from its Christian roots and has become a Christmas custom for many cultures worldwide.

*Author’s note: Brach’s is my favorite brand of candy cane, but I’ll try any of them. I like all flavors, but my least favorite is cotton candy.

**If you would like to try your hand at making homemade candy canes, there are many recipes online you can follow. I like the recipes on thespruceeats.com.