Why do candy canes have red stripes

The first candy cane was not made in the shape of a cane. It was white, completely straight and only flavored with sugar. Legend has it that in , the cane shaped candy became historical when a choirmaster at the Cologne Cathedral in Germany bent the sugar-sticks into canes to appear as shepherd's hooks. The all-white candy canes were given out to children who attended the ceremonies. This became a popular tradition, and eventually the practice during church ceremonies which spread all over Europe and America.

The first documented example of the use of candy canes to celebrate Christmas occurred in , when August Imgard, a German-Swedish immigrant, from Wooster, Ohio decorated the Christmas tree with paper ornaments and candy canes. As for the best way to eat the Yuletide treat: Schildhaus says an NCA survey found that 72 percent of people think that starting on the straight end is the "proper" way to eat a candy cane, while 28 percent start at the curved end.

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Their red and white stripes adorn trees and homes during the holidays while their minty flavour delights taste buds. According to the National Confectionery Association, a U. Thanksgiving and Christmas. But how did this beloved holiday treat become associated with Christmas? Not to mention why do candy canes make your mouth feel cold?

As someone who has researched chocolate and confectioneries, I thought it fitting to answer some important candy questions this holiday season. One well-regarded story suggests that in , a choirmaster in Cologne, Germany, gave out sugar sticks to the children as a way to soothe them during the long nativity ceremony.

Shepherds are common symbols in the Christian faith and can be seen in the Christian story of the birth of Christ. An alternative theory suggests the hook was invented simply to make the candy sticks easier to hang on Christmas trees.

Read more: The great Christmas tree debate: Is it better to buy a real tree or a fake one? These, however, are folktales with little evidence to back them up. The first documented case of candy canes occurred in when a German-Swedish immigrant named August Imgard of Wooster, Ohio, decorated a small blue spruce tree with the candy.