Is that Jesus you're sucking on

Wednesday, December 26, 2007

By Sam Petri

Holiday foods, for all religions, have become mere representations of what was historically savored on a given holiday. This is no big deal, because what we eat now is better than what our ancestors had in their day. But some holiday foods come out of left field, and no one seems to be able to attribute where the tradition comes from.
Case in point: the candy cane.

Several legends surround the history of the candy cane. None are true. No one really knows where or how or when the candy cane originated or why we suck on them during Christmas; however, several modern-day Christian-based origin stories claim the candy cane is laden with Christian religious symbolism.

One such story involves a candy maker from Indiana that wanted to make a confection to symbolize Jesus, so he bent a candy stick into the shape of a “J.” Or maybe it was to represent a shepherd’s cane. He made the colors white and red to stand for the virgin birth (white) and the blood of Christ (red).

When I related this candy cane origin story to my Jewish friend he said, “I don’t know if I like the idea of sucking on Jesus blood.” Agreed. Besides, candy canes seem to have existed long before the State of Indiana ever did, so we can nix that one.

Among the more factual information I was able to dig up was a Wikipedia entry in which it was writ that French priests invented the candy cane in the 1400s. While I like the sound of that – it seems more truthful than the guy from Indiana – it’s still a fishy one because the priest theme is so rampant in so many of the candy cane-origin myths.
What most people in cyberspace seem to agree on is that candy canes were originally straight and white. It was not until the 20th century that they were curved, given color and flavored with peppermint. This has been documented in photographs and drawings.

Christians, quick to claim the candy cane as their own in an attempt to further dominate the month of December, may very well have made the first candy cane. But do they represent Jesus? I think not. So Jews, Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, Taoists and anyone else under the sun: Don’t think twice about sucking a candy cane. After all, that coloring isn’t Jesus blood, just red dye #40.
PERMALINK:
Is that Jesus you're sucking on | Planet JH News Article: Restaurants And Dining

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