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The Tradition of the Candy Cane
About 1670, a choirmaster at the Cologne Cathedral in Germany created the sugar cane to appear like the shepherd's staff that the bishop as Shepherd of the flock symbolizes. These became popular giving them out at Midnight Mass all over Europe to children.
It wasn't long before candy makers began adding sugar and decorated the candy canes with a rose color appearance. It wasn't until about 1847 that the candy cane tradition made it to America thanks to the German immigrant, August Imgard who first decorated his Christmas tree in Wooster Ohio.
From there, candy canes have become an American tradition. About 1900, candy canes began to appear bearing the familiar red-and-white stripes adding the classic peppermint and wintergreen flavors.
From the Christian tradition, the "J" shape is a constant reminder to Jesus as the colors red and white stripes represent the purity from the white color and the blood represented by the red color. Very much in line with the Divine Mercy message.
The three red stripes originally stood for the Trinity as it symbolized three stripes on one candy cane. The hardness of the candy cane came to represent the Catholic Church's foundation being based on solid rock.
