While candy canes aren’t the actual reason for the season, they are a reminder of the actual reason. That reason, of course, is Jesus Christ and His birth.

The first candy canes emerged in the 17th century. The original use was believed to be to calm rowdy choir boys during church service by giving them a sugary distraction. The hook was soon added as a religious symbol to make it more acceptable to church leaders. The sugary stick was later adapted to become an even bigger symbol, however, as the candy began to change even more in the centuries to follow.

The shape, the shepherd’s staff, symbolizes Christ being our great shepherd. Turn the staff upside down and you’ll have a “J” for Jesus. And what about those iconic red and white stripes? The white stripes represent baby Jesus being born innocent and perfect. Jesus lived a sinless life and He is unblemished; white as snow. The red stripes represent Jesus’ blood which He shed for us and our sins so that we may someday live eternally in Heaven with Him. Many earlier candy canes simply had three stripes for the Holy Trinity, but today more stripes simply twist around the rod.

So next time you see a candy cane remember that your greatest gift didn’t come from Santa but from Jesus Christ, our Lord and Saviour.