Updated February 24, 2024
National Candy Cane Day is on December 26, and while that doesn’t mean it’ll keep us from munching on the sugary sticks as early as Thanksgiving, it does give us a chance to indulge as much as we can before New Year’s.
However, some stories tell of all white candy sticks in much earlier times. There are folklore tales of the origin of the candy cane, yet there is no documented proof of its real beginning. It has been mentioned in literature since 1866 and was first known to be mentioned in association with Christmas in 1874. As early as 1882, candy canes have been hung on Christmas trees.
Enjoy these fun candy cane facts:
- 17th Century – While the origins of the candy cane are a bit murky, legend has it that they first appeared in hooked form around 1670. Candy sticks themselves were pretty common, but they really took shape when the choirmaster at the Cologne Cathedral in Germany got the bright idea of twisting them to look like shepherd’s hooks. He then handed them out to kids during church services to keep them quiet.
- 1844 – In 1844, a recipe for a straight peppermint candy stick, which was white with colored stripes, was published.
- 1847 – August Imgard, a German-Swedish immigrant, decorated a small blue spruce with paper ornaments and candy canes in Wooster, Ohio.
- 1866 – Literature begins mentioning the candy cane in 1866,
- 1882 – As early as 1882, candy canes have been hung on Christmas trees.
- 1900 – Striped red and white candy canes were first introduced in 1900.
- 1920s – In Albany, Georgia, Bob McCormack began making candy canes by hand as special Christmas treats for his children and friends.
- 1921 – The first machine to make candy canes was invented in 1921 by Brasher O. Westerfield. Until then, they were made by hand.
- 1950s – Gregory Keller, a Catholic priest, invented a machine to automate the production of candy canes.
- The average candy can is 5 inches tall.
- While most candy canes are not sugar or calorie-free, they do not have any fat or cholesterol.
- Traditionally the flavor for candy canes is peppermint, but there are a variety of flavors.
- Alain Roby, Geneva pastry chef, holds the Guinness World Record for the longest candy cane, measuring 51 feet long.
- MORE THAN A BILLION ARE MADE EACH YEAR. According to the National Confectioners Association, about 1.2 billion candy canes are made annually, and 90 percent of those are sold between Thanksgiving and Christmas. Which honestly begs the question: Who’s buying the 10 percent in the off season?
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