The Candy Cane

 As mentioned in my previous post, The Christmas Tree, the practice of decorating the "Paradise Tree," with candy, dates as far back as the Middle Ages when the Christian faithful performed the "Mystery Plays" on Christmas Eve.  In those days the hard candy was most probably just straight, white pieces of candy that were tied with ribbon to hang from the tree.

Tradition has it, that some of these candies were put to use in Cologne Cathedral about 1670 while restless youngsters were attending ceremonies around the living creche.  To keep them quiet, the choirmaster persuaded craftsmen to make sticks of candy bent at the end to represent shepherds’ crooks, then he passed them out to boys and girls who came to the cathedral.

How our present day rendition of the candy cane came about, no one really knows, but as candy was already in long term use as a decoration to put on the Christmas Tree (Paradise Tree) and given as gifts to small children, it evolved through the years to become what we know today as the Candy Cane.  

Legend has it that a candy maker decided one day to invent a candy that was a witness to Christ, as the Passion and Death of Christ is the central focus of the Catholic faith, wherewith our redemption was wrought and the gates of Heaven reopened for us.   

First of all, the candy is a hard candy representing Christ, the rock of ages.

The candy was shaped in the form of a ‘J’ to represent the shepherds’ staff, or turned upside down, representing the ‘J’ in Jesus.  

The candy was white, representing the purity of Christ, the purity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, His Mother, and stands as a reminder to the Catholic how he must try to preserve his soul in the purity of Baptism.  

A red stripe was added to the candy to represent the blood of Christ which was shed for the sins of the world.

Two additional, thinner, red stripes were added to represent the stripes Christ received, on our behalf, during the scourging at the pillar when the Roman soldiers whipped Him mercilessly.  

Sometimes a green stripe is added to remind us that Jesus is a gift from God.  And in my family, the marine junks that were entwined in the Crown of Thorns.  

The flavor of the candy cane is peppermint, which is similar to hyssop.  Hyssop is in the mint family and was used in the Old Testament for purification and sacrifice.  Jesus is the pure Lamb of God, come to be a sacrifice for the sins of the world.  

Mint symbolizes Love, Passion and Humble Virtue.  Jesus, by His great Love for us, Humbly offered Himself to God the Father in atonement of our sins during the Passion of the Cross.

In my family, the candy canes are placed deep inside the branches of our Christmas Tree on Christmas Eve to symbolize how we must always hold deep within our hearts a love for Jesus.  When the children come to the tree, filled with joy and excitement, to open their gifts, they’re reminded of the gift of Christ and the joy with which we should receive Him in our heart, mind and soul.  Because the canes are somewhat "hidden," it reminds us of how Christ is "hidden" in the Blessed Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist.

I had a couple of people ask me why I only mentioned the STAR on top of the Christmas Tree and not an Angel.  Honestly, I intended to add that – and I did later – but somehow got ahead of myself and accidentally skipped it.  

Yes, the Angel on top of the Christmas Tree is another symbolic decoration.  It reminds us of the choir of Angels who appeared to the Shepherds in the field, singing the first Gloria of Christmas, which announced the Birth of Christ.   The shepherds were the first among the world to adore and worship our Lord in His Nativity as the Redeemer.  (The three Magi didn’t arrive at the Nativity until 12 nights later at the Eve of the Epiphany when Christ revealed his Divinity.)  

My house if filled with poinsettias!!  My dear Hubby brought home 16 potted poinsettias from work (8 red,  7 white, 1 speckled) and we’ve placed them all over the house downstairs.  They’re beautiful and really make everything look so Christmassy.  🙂  He does this every year and it’s always made me so happy.  

When my sisters come to town, I usually send them home with a couple to decorate their homes.  My poor sister, Mel, will have to take Annie’s to her.  I hope she can manage them all without them getting crushed on the trip home.  LOL!

I have much to do today, starting with breakfast -as I haven’t eaten yet (shame on me), so I’ll be going now.  I hope you all have a very good and productive day.  God Bless!

Until next time…