Origin of the Candy Cane

Out of all the symbols associated with modern Christmas celebrations, few are more iconic than the classic candy cane. According to confectioners, it's by far the most popular non-chocolate candy at Christmastime, with around 90% of sales happening between Thanksgiving and Christmas.

But where did they come from? Why the distinctive hook shape? And why is peppermint the traditional flavor? With the holidays here, let's move beyond transportation management for a moment, and look into this Christmas classic.

Why Candy Canes?

The truth is, no one is exactly sure when or how candy canes came into existence.

The German Theory

The most common - but unconfirmed - story of candy canes' creation dates to 1670s Germany. As the tale goes, the choirmaster at Cologne Cathedral was upset about all the noise that bored children were making during services. So, he asked a local candy-maker to create sticks of sugar to keep them happy and quiet.

According to this story, the hook on the candy canes was added to resemble a shepherd's staff, connecting them to the shepherds who are said to have visited baby Jesus.

However, there is no record of this story appearing prior to the 1900s, which makes its validity pretty doubtful. There's a good chance that this is simply folklore, or possibly even an outright invention by 20th Century writers.

Also, the notion that the choirmaster went to a "candy-maker" is anachronistic. In the 17th-18th centuries, candy makers were actually apothecaries. The herbal medicines they created were typically foul-tasting, so they'd suspend the medicine in sugar, and add a strong-tasting flavor - like peppermint - to block out the taste of the herbs. Candy wasn't considered its own product yet.

Candy-makers as a separate trade didn't really emerge until the mid-19th Century. The price of sugar fell due to greater production, and peppermints became popular as a consumer good. This makes for a slightly more realistic period that candy canes might have entered the market.

Creating The Modern Candy Cane

We are, at least, more certain about how the modern candy cane came into being.

Originally, the candies were simply straight white sticks. There are pictures of them in 19th Century Christmas cards, and none have the iconic hook - another blow to the 1600s Germany theory. Both the hook and the red stripes came into being in the early 20th Century.

It's believed - although not verified - that the Mills-McCormack candy company added the red stripe, as they became the main producer of American candy canes at the time. They also held patents for several candy-making machines, particularly the Keller Machine. That allowed for twisting and bending of semi-hard, boiled sugar before it cooled, and made it easy to mass-produce candy canes with the hook.

Why add a hook? It may have simply been added to make them easy to hang on Christmas trees. For the record, Christmas tree decorating did probably begin in 17th Century Germany, which might be how candy canes got linked back to German sources.

Either way, the final form of the candy cane was set by the 1940s-50s, and hasn't really changed since. Generations have enjoyed candy canes in the past, and undoubtedly will in the future as well.

Happy Holidays from BusBoss!

BusBoss hopes you, your family, and your staff all have a wonderful holiday season, no matter which holidays you celebrate.

When you're back in the office next year, remember that we're always here to help with your transportation management needs. From tech upgrades to expert consultation services, just contact BusBoss to make your bus system better!