I love candy canes at Christmas time and for some reason, I just don’t see many of them around here- it’s mostly chocolate, gummy candies, black licorice. Well, I did see a small jar of them (1.50 each!) at the candy hut on the Bonn Christmas Market, but in Siegburg we have a medieval Christmas market, and apparently candy canes did not exist in medieval times. Luckily I received an ample supply in the mail (thanks Mom!) and then I got to thinking — are Candy Canes an American invention?

There seem to be two claims floating around the internet. The first, that they were invented by a candy maker in Indiana, shaped like a J for Jesus and white to represent his purity and red to represent his suffering just doesn’t seem that exciting to me.

I like this story better: Back in the day (in Europe, before Indiana existed) people made all sorts of sweets and treats at holiday time – one being a white sugar stick. About 350 years ago, the choirmaster at the Cologne Cathedral had the candies bent into the shape of shepherd staff, and gave them to the children to keep them quiet during the Christmas services.

Cologne Cathedral

Apparently, the bribe worked, and many years later a German immigrant to America used the canes to decorate his Christmas tree, along with other cookies and candies. The peppermint flavor and red stripes came later, probably as an American update to the traditional sugar stick. (Possibly from a candy maker in Indiana, who knows?)

So there you have it, and here we have our tree, decorated with candy canes and chocolate ornaments. If it’s looking a little sparse, I know nothing about it. Although I may have seen some elves sneaking around…

Happy Christmas Eve!