Know Your Trivia - Week of  12/8

History of Candy Canes

There's a popular story about how candy canes began. It says that in 1670, Germany, a choirmaster at a cathedral had a problem. The children in his church were making too much noise during services.

He asked a local candy maker to create some "sugar sticks" for them. To make it okay to give candy in church, he asked for a special shape. He wanted the candy maker to add a hook, or "crook," to the top of each stick. This hook was meant to remind children of the shepherds who visited the infant Jesus. The choirmaster also used the white color of the candy. He taught the children that the white color stood for the pure, sinless life of Jesus.

From Germany, these special candies spread across Europe. People gave them out during  plays that showed the Christmas story. This is how the candy cane became linked to the Christmas season.

The red stripes and peppermint flavor emerged around 1900, becoming a popular choice as modern candy-making processes improved.