I used to see candy canes during Christmas time and wondered what it had to do with Christmas. I thought it was just another piece of commercialism and was, frankly, quite annoyed with it. It’s just sweet candy, right?

But that’s until I got hold of a copy of Lori Walburg’s The Legend of the Candy Cane. In the story, a little girl befriends a newcomer in town who is building a candy store.

As their friendship grows, the man tells her the story behind the candy cane – that it looks like a shepherd’s staff when right side up, but like a “J” for Jesus when it’s upside down. The red and white stripes have meaning too: red for the blood of Jesus and white for His sinless nature.

An Internet search brought my attention to a nice poem about it that goes like this:

 

Gift Idea and Free Download

If you’re having a hard time thinking of inexpensive and meaningful gifts for your child’s friends or classmates, how about some candy canes with a print out of the poem? You can download our printable gift tags for free here (big) and here (small).

It’s still candy, and the legend is still a legend, but at least, the candy cane now has a real Christmas connection… at least in our hearts!