12 Days of Christmas 2016 - Day 4: The Candy Cane
The candy cane. It's pretty much the official candy of Christmas.Remarkably, the elements of the peppermint candy cane derive from the Christmas story. The stripes, shape, the color and yes, even the flavor, are symbolized by Jesus' life.
The shape. Fashioned into the resemblance of a shepherd's staff, or a letter J if you flip it, this was the original design of the candy cane, and it was created by a candymaker in the seventeenth century to soothe little ones during service. The shepherd's staff represents Jesus as the good shepherd, and the J is the monogram for His name.
The pattern and color. Isaiah 53:5 (NKJV) says, "By his stripes we are healed." Perhaps this was the inspiration for the wide and narrow red stripes circling round the cane. The wide stripe representing the vast amount of blood Christ lost during the crucifixion, and the smaller ones from the soldiers whipping him, this was purposely added, as the legend goes, by a candymaker a couple hundred years after the original candy cane.
The flavor. The cool, refreshing peppermint reminds us of the hyssop, a common sacrifice in Old Testament days. It reminds us that Jesus is our sacrifice, once and for all, for our sins.
The next time you have a candy cane, savor the sweetness of Jesus.
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