Unfortunately, the candy became known as a Candy Cane - a meaningless decoration seen at Christmas time. The large red stripe was for the blood shed by Christ on the cross so that we could have the promise of eternal life. He used three small stripes to show the stripes of the scourging Jesus received by which we are healed. Thinking that the candy was somewhat plain, the candymaker stained it with red stripes. 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. 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. 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. He began with a stick of pure white, hard candy. He incorporated several symbols from the birth, ministry, and death of Jesus Christ. Candy manufacturers also make candy canes in a variety of other flavors and colors.Ī candymaker in Indiana wanted to make a candy that would be a witness, so he made the Christmas Candy Cane. If you don't care for minty candy canes, though, that's OK. Today, traditional red and white candy canes with a minty flavor are still very popular. Other manufacturers started to mass-produce candy canes in the 1950s after Gregory Keller invented a candy cane machine. They also developed a way to protect them from harmful moisture by wrapping them in cellophane. In the 1920s, Bobs® Candies became the first company to mass-produce candy canes. Christmas cards after 1900 show striped candy canes.Īt about the same time, candy makers started using peppermint and wintergreen oils to give candy canes their signature minty flavor. No one knows who first gave candy canes those well-known, bright-red stripes twisting around the candy stick like the stripes of a barber's pole.Īll that's known for sure is that Christmas cards from the years before 1900 featured only solid white candy canes. These candy canes were still solid white.Ĭandy canes would not earn their characteristic stripes until around 1900. As early as 1847, a German-Swedish immigrant named August Imgard hung candy canes from the branches of his Christmas tree. Their hook shape made them easy to hang on the branches of a Yule tree. Europeans used candy canes to decorate their Yule trees (trees decorated for the Yule holiday that would eventually become Christmas). Their popularity eventually spread to other areas throughout Europe.Ĭandy canes soon became associated with the Christmas holiday. The cane-shaped candy sticks became a tradition at the church. They were a gift to the children attending the Christmas Nativity pageant.īecause of the shepherds in the Nativity story, the choirmaster bent the candy sticks into canes to represent the shepherd's crook. The first candy sticks were made in 1670 by the choirmaster at Cologne Cathedral in Germany. Plus, they were also fragile and easily damaged by moisture. The candy ingredients had to be mixed, heated, and then pulled, cut, and twisted.Īlthough popular with children, candy sticks were sometimes hard to find. The process took a lot of time and strength. In the mid-1600s, confectioners ( candy makers) made candy sticks by hand. Instead, they developed from simple white sugar sticks made as candy for children. We're talking about candycanes, of course!īelieve it or not, candy canes didn't always have stripes…and they weren't always shaped like canes. Whether they top off your delectable homemade goodies, pretty up some store bought sweets or provide a Christmas activity for the kiddos… I hope you enjoy these ice cream cone Sparkling Christmas Trees! Up next, the conclusion of our 12 Cakes of Christmas series.For many kids, thoughts of Christmas conjure up images of red and white stripes and minty sweetness. If you use waffle cones, be sure to break a little bit off to even out the bottom, so that the cone will stand up on its own, before coating. TIP: Sprinkle the cone over a bowl so that your extra sprinkles go back into the bowl, so you can reuse. Place on top of a cake or cupcake for super easy decoration! They firm up nice and quick and will actually be quite solid once set. This is a good time to touch up any areas you missed. Set onto parchment or wax paper until hard.Sprinkle, sprinkle, sprinkle until all areas of the cone are covered. It’s incredibly easy and quick but with impressive results. If you’re still getting your goodies and sweets together, I have one last DIY project for you today. Okay, so I know I’m not the only one who isn’t quite ready for Christmas.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |