The history of candy canes and how the holiday treat turned into a billion-dollar industry
The candy cane has long been part of the Christmas season, enormously growing in popularity and variety through the years
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During the Christmas season, the candy cane industry sees an enormous spike in sales.
In 2023, confectionery sales during the holiday season reached close to $7 billion, Carly Schildhaus, director of public affairs and communications at the National Confectioners Association (NCA), told FOX Business in an email, with this number expected to rise up to 3% in 2024.
It comes as no surprise that most candy cane sales happen between the months of November and December, with the most popular selling time the second week of December, according to the NCA website, Always a Treat.
Candy canes have become a staple of the Christmas season for decorating and as a sweet treat. ( / iStock)
Today, candy cane flavors extend far beyond classic peppermint. There are candy canes based on favored candies, like Nerds, Swedish Fish, Sour Patch, Sweetarts, Lifesavers and others.
You can find even more obscure candy cane flavors today, like chocolate, bacon and even mac and cheese.
Candy canes aren't just eaten, they are also used to decorate Christmas trees.
In fact, half of Americans plan to use candy canes as a decoration for their tree, or use the treat to decorate packages, Schildhaus told FOX Business.
Candy canes are often used to decorate Christmas trees. ( / iStock)
While modern times have brought unique candy cane flavors to adorn Christmas trees, they didn't always come in such a large assortment, and they weren't traditionally used to decorate trees.
The exact origin of the candy cane is slightly murky, though there is a common theory to support the start of the popular holiday treat.
Candy canes, in their most basic form, are thought to date back to 1670, as a way to keep young singers in Germany quiet during church services.
During the time, the choirmaster at the Cologne Cathedral in Germany gave young singers sugar sticks during the Living Cheche ceremony to keep them silent, according to Always a Treat.
Candy canes and their flavors have evolved through the years. Today, the flavors stretch far beyond classic peppermint. (Richard Lautens/Toronto Star via Getty Images / Getty Images)
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"In honor of the shepherds featured in the story, he bent the candies into small shepherds’ crooks," the website notes.
Candy canes first appeared in the United States when August Imgard, a German-Swedish immigrant, decorated a Christmas tree in Wooster, Ohio, with paper ornaments and candy canes in 1847, sparking the tradition around the rest of the country, according to the site.
It wasn't until years later that candy canes began to be widely sold throughout the country.
When candy canes were originally sold, there were no signature red stripes, according to Always a Treat. The stripes didn't emerge until the turn of the 20th century, according to the source.
Candy canes are a popular stocking stuffer and can also be taped onto gifts for additional appeal. ( / iStock)
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Prominent candy cane sellers in the early years of the sugary treat included Doscher's Candies and Bobs Candies.
Doscher's Candies, a company started by Claus Doscher in Cincinnati, Ohio, created candy canes in 1871 using peppermint oil, cooking the mixture in copper kettles, plus rolling and kneading by hand, according to the company's website.
Bobs Candies was started around 1920 by Bob McCormack in Georgia, according to the Ferrara Candy Company website, which the brand is manufactured by.
McCormack's brother-in-law, Father Gregory Keller, was responsible for inventing the groundbreaking machine used to twist the candy and bend it into the shape of a cane, according to Georgia Public Broadcasting.
The large majority of candy cane sales fall within the Christmas season. (Hauke-Christian Dittrich/picture alliance via Getty Images / Getty Images)
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Today, candy canes are so popular that there is even a day dedicated to the treat. Every year, Dec. 26 marks "National Candy Cane Day."
As far as the "correct" way to consume the sugary treat, the verdict is still out.
Fifty-four percent of people eat their candy canes beginning with the straight end, while 30% eat the curved end first, according to the NCA.
Breaking up a candy cane is another way it can be eaten, with 16% of people going with this approach, according to the organization.