Christmas Traditions: The Christmas Candy Cane

written by Pastor David L. Brown, Ph.D

One of the popular pieces of candy that "Santa" hands out to children during the local Christmas parades are the Christmas candy cane.  According to Brown, the earliest candy canes were pure white and invented in the 17th century.  The earliest account of candy canes Dr. Brown found was around 1670.  They were given to the children, to keep them quiet, while they listened to the choir and watched the ceremonies associated with the live Nativity scene at Cologne Cathedral.  What about the modern candy canes with red stripes?  They are early 20th century in origin.  It was a candymaker from Indiana who wanted to make a candy that would be a witness for Christ, so he made the Christmas Candy Cane.  The Indiana candy maker desired that even his candy be a witness of Christ so he incorporated several symbols for the birth, life, and ministry and death of Jesus Christ. 

The Pure White Stick of Hard Candy

He began with a stick of pure white, hard candy.  White was used to symbolize purity.  He had two aspects of purity in mind.  First, the white symbolized the purity of the Virgin Birth.  White has long been the symbol of sexual purity.  Originally, that's why a bride would walk down the aisle on her wedding day in a white wedding gown.  That gown testified she was a virgin.  Mary, the mother of Jesus was a virgin.  In Luke 1:26-35, verse 34, Mary testifies to her virginity, her sexual purity.  Jesus Christ was born of a virgin.  The white of the candy reminds us of the Virgin Birth of Christ.  Secondly, the white of the candy reminds us that Christ was sinless.  Christ, the God-man, lived a perfect life.  He never once sinned. This is testified to in many passages of the bible such as Hebrews 4:15, I Peter 2:22, 2 Corinthians 5:21, 1 John 3:5, and I Peter 1:18-19.  Christ had to be sinless in order to be able to pay the debt for the sins of mankind.  The pure white in the candy cane represents the sinlessness of Christ.

The Rock-hardness of the Candy Cane

The candy cane is made of rock-hard candy and there is a reason for that.  The rock symbolizes the Solid Rock (Christ), who is the foundation of the believer and the Church.  (Isaiah 28:16, Matthew 7:24-27, Psalms 18:2, and Psalms 62:2).  The rock-hardness of the candy cane symbolizes that Christ is the solid rock of the believer's life. 

The Candy Cane Forms the Letter "J"

The candymaker made the candy in the form of a "J" to represent the name of Jesus, who came to earth as our Savior.  The Angel told Joseph "And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins".  (Matthew 1:21)  Another scripture is Philippians 2:9-11. 

Jesus Christ is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of Kings, and Lord of lords.  Every created being, angelic or human, will bow and acknowledge that Jesus Christ is the SUPREME SOVEREIGN and ONLY SAVIOR.  The "J" of the candy stands for Jesus.  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 his sheep, have gone astray (Isaiah 53:6).

The Red Stripes on the Candy Cane

"Genuine" candy canes had three small red stripes and one large red stripe on them.  There is a good reason for that.  The candymaker used three stripes to show the stripes of the scourging Jesus received by which we are saved from our sins.  Isaiah 53:5 points out our Lord's punishment was for OUR sins.  The large red stripe was for the blood shed by Christ on the Cross so that we could have the promise of eternal life if we believe on and personally receive Him.  (Revelation 1:5)

The three small stripes on the candy cane symbolize the whipping that Jesus took as He paid for our sins.  The broad stripe symbolizes the blood Christ shed on the Cross as He died for our sins that we might be saved.  In a nutshell, the Christmas Candy Cane is a wonderful Christian Christmas symbol.  The pure white symbolizes the purity of the Virgin Birth and the sinlessness of Christ.  The rock-hardness symbolizes Christ the solid rock, the sure foundation of the believer.  The "J" stands for JESUS the Savior, the name which is above every name.  The three stripes symbolize the whipping that Jesus took as payment for our sins and the broad stripes His shed blood for our sins on the cross.