I don’t like the taste of candy canes, but many people do. Approximately 1.76 billion candy canes are produced in the U.S. each year, with 90% fo them being sold between Thanksgiving and Christmas. December 26 has even been designated as National Candy Cane Day!
Most of us have heard “the history of the candy cane” story. If you haven’t, you should. If you have, it’s worth hearing again. It goes like this:
A candymaker in Indiana wanted to make a candy that would be a witness, so he made the Christmas Candy Cane. He incorporated several symbols from the birth, ministry, and death of Jesus Christ.
He began with a stick of pure white, hard candy. White to symbolize the Virgin Birth and the sinless nature of Jesus, and hard to symbolize the Solid Rock, the foundation of the Church, and firmness of the promises of God.
The candymaker made the candy in the form of a “J” to represent the precious name of Jesus, who came to earth as our Savior. It could also represent the staff of the “Good Shepherd” with which He reaches down into the ditches of the world to lift out the fallen lambs who, like all sheep, have gone astray.
Thinking that the candy was somewhat plain, the candymaker stained it with red stripes. He used three small stripes to show the stripes of the scourging Jesus received by which we are healed. The large red stripe was for the blood shed by Christ on the cross so that we could have the promise of eternal life.
Unfortunately, the candy became known as a Candy Cane — a meaningless decoration seen at Christmas time. But the meaning is still there for those who “have eyes to see and ears to hear.” Every time you see a Candy Cane, remember the Wonder of Jesus and His Great Love that came down at Christmas, and that His Love remains the ultimate and dominant force in the universe today.
Despite the popularity of this story, it has been debunked by Snopes. In response to the question, “Did candy canes originate as religious symbols?”, David Mikkelson (founder of Snopes) wrote, “Despite modern religious legends, candy canes were not created as Christian symbols, representing the blood and purity of Jesus.”
Based on historical “candy cane sightings,” the candy cane probably originated in the 1600s as an all-white straight stick, rather than the curved, red-and-white version of the candy that hangs so nicely on Christmas trees and stockings today.
Still, the question posed to Snopes is quite specific. While candy canes may not have been created as Christian symbols, they certainly have become a simple, convenient way to share the good news of Jesus.
Although the history of the candy cane may be questionable, the historical reality of Jesus’ birth, life, death and resurrection is true and therefore completely credible. As Christian apologist William Lane Craig notes,
The gospels are not only trustworthy documents in general, but as we look at some of the most important aspects of Jesus in the gospels, like his radical personal claims, his miracles, his trial and crucifixion, and his resurrection, their historical veracity shines through. God has acted in history, and we can know it.
The candy cane can be a helpful tool in telling others about Jesus. So use it without getting hung up on its history.