These Christmas Candy Recipes Will Help You Sweeten the Season (2024)

FAQs

How did candy canes become associated with Christmas? ›

A Christmas legend

There's some mystery surrounding the origins of candy canes because there are no exact records of their invention. One well-regarded story suggests that in 1670, a choirmaster in Cologne, Germany, gave out sugar sticks to the children as a way to soothe them during the long nativity ceremony.

It all started in 1670, when a kind choirmaster wanted a way to keep the children sitting quietly through a Christmas service. He made simple white sugar sticks into a “J” shape to resemble the crooks of the shepherds that visited baby Jesus, or so the story goes.

Peppermint Bark

A Christmas themed offshoot of almond bark. Peppermint bark has a seasonal flavor and appearance, and is loved by many as a hard candy snack.

That's a completely fabricated Christian folklore legend which has no basis in truth. Candy canes originated in the 1800s as a Christmas holiday treat. Candy canes were not created as a religious symbol [1].

“Legend has it that the candy cane dates back to 1670, when the choirmaster at the Cologne Cathedral in Germany handed out sugar sticks among his young singers to keep them quiet during the Living Creche ceremony,” Schildhaus says. “In honor of the occasion, he bent the candies into shepherds' crooks.”

Candy canes are one of the oldest Christmas candies, first appearing in the 17th century in Europe. They were originally straight white sticks of sugar that were meant to symbolize shepherd's crooks.

Christmas Candy Quick Facts

43% of Holiday shoppers started by the beginning of November. 72% of people eat a candy cane starting on the straight end, the rest start on the curved end. Weird. Approximately 150 million chocolate Santas are produced annually.

What is the #1 rated candy in the world? ›

Snickers is listed as the most popular candy in the world. M&Ms, with annual sales of over $500 million, is the most popular candy brand in the United States. In duty-free shops, Toblerone is the best selling candy. KitKat's popularity is the highest in Japan, with over 200 distinct flavors available such as green tea.

A long time ago, Santa was known as Saint Nicholas by his peers because he was so kind to others and often gave gifts to those in need. Today, some still call Santa “Saint Nicholas” among his many nicknames.

Willie T. Soke and his dwarf assistant Marcus Skidmore are professional thieves. Every year, Willie gets a job as a department store Santa Claus and Marcus as an elf to rob shopping malls on the night of Christmas Eve, with Marcus' wife Lois as their getaway driver.

Mince pie is a fruit-based pie, where small chunks of dried fruit are cooked in a beef suet, and then added to the pie crust. This pie has been traditionally served during Christmas time for centuries, and there are recipes dating to the 16th century for it.

Cane: Is like the staff used by the shepherds in caring for sheep. Jesus is our “Good Shepherd.” The Color Red: Is for God's love that sent Jesus to give his life for us on the cross. The Stripes: Remind us of Jesus' suffering-his crown of thorns, the wounds in his hands and feet; and the cross on which he died.

Luckily, the origins of the candy cane are slightly more documented than some other holiday traditions. Multiple books have been written on the subject and seem to agree on a common possible explanation: that the candy cane was first invented as an attempt to keep children quiet during the Christmas church service.

Just about everyone agrees that today's candy cane appeared in the U.S. around 1847 in Wooster Ohio, made by August Imgard, a German-Swedish immigrant. I've read different accounts–that the “J” shape stands for Jesus, that they were made to look like a shepherds crook.

According to folklore, in 1670, the choirmaster at the Cologne Cathedral in Cologne, Germany, was searching for a way in which to quiet restless children during his Christmas Eve mass. He asked a local candy maker to create what were then referred to as “sugar sticks” to eat during the service to keep them occupied.