The true origin of candy canes is hazy, mixing recorded history with a good amount of legend. Hard candy has existed for thousands of years. The expense of sugar made it a rare treat, shared on special occasions and holidays or as a reward for children’s good behavior.
Church records show that in 1670, a choirmaster at Cologne Cathedral in Germany handed out white candy sticks to keep restless children quiet during Christmas services. The sweets took a long time to finish and kept little hands and mouths busy while they weren’t singing. Worried it might seem improper to give candy in church, he added the symbolic crook to recall the shepherds of the Nativity.
The body of Christ
The blood of Christ
And just for the kids, the shaft of Christ
I guess the priests were busy
Making the kids’ mouths sticky, one way or another
Domradio.de is made by the archdiocese Cologne. They don’t know about such church records and they write:
As beautiful as the story is, it is also unlikely. In the 17th century, nativity plays were forbidden in churches. There is also no written evidence of the story anywhere. However, there is evidence of a church connection. In 1957, Gregory Keller applied for a patent in the USA for the first industrial machine for making candy canes. And Keller was a Catholic priest.
(Translated by DeepL)
Nicely found! Thanks
I can’t believe that kids were so basic back then that a stick of peppermint hard candy could shut them up for an entire church service.
They didn’t live in a world saturated in sugar. It was a very rare treat.
Also, depends on the ages here. A lot of 4 year olds can still be kept busy for a while by something like that. …If they haven’t been handed an iPad since they were 9 months old anyway.
The amount of candy cane myth that is believed wholesale and unquestioningly by modern American churches is amazing.
What do you mean? Like this one? Do please educate us if you know better.
There is a myth in evangelical Christian circles, I believe acknowledged in the article, that candy canes have their color (white for purity, red for blood) and shape (upside-down J for Jesus) and taste (sweet like the gospel) to explicitly communicate Christian doctrines. There is even a children’s Christmas musical performed in churches at Christmas based on this principle. As much as one may approve of the doctrines, Christians holding steadfastly to a particular origin of candy canes regardless of the evidence seems dishonest and misguided, if not outright idolatrous to me.
Sheesh. That is crazy. I grew up in evangelical churches in the southern USA and that’s a new one to me.
I don’t think it’s crazy, just desperate for validation.
As made up as everything else they teach. Nothing to see here.
Pretty much all candy was designed to shut kids up.
You can’t really talk and chew caramel.
