SYMBOLISM OF A CANDY CANE
by Donald J. Barthelmeh
from KNIGHT TEMPLAR magazine Vol. 34 No. 12 December 88
No season is so rich in signs and symbols as is
Christmastide.  We are literally surrounded by beauty,
artistry, craftsmanship, and creative ability, as so many
visual expressions draw our attention to the birth of
Christ.  The stars of silver, gold, and shining blue remind
us of the new star seen in the east.  Every carol breathes
the spirit of angelic voices.  Greens of every description
remind us of the eternalness of life with God.  Our gifts to
others imply the greater gift we would offer to the baby
Jesus.
Of the scenes of Christmas, none is more beautiful than the
shepherds on the hillside watching their flocks by night,
with crooks in hand, about their humble business of guarding
and keeping safe their flocks.  From here they receive the
announcement, "Unto you is born a Savior." (Luke 2:11 KJV)
Then they joined together to go "see the great sight which
had come to pass." (Luke 2:15)
The shepherd's crook was at the first service of worship of
the Christ.  Its counterpart is our candy cane - so old as a
symbol that we have nearly forgotten its origin.
We are immediately attracted by its color - the red and the
white.  Red is for sacrifice; white is for purity.  The body
of the cane is white, representing the life that is pure, or
that may be pure: "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they
shall see God." (Matthew 5:8 RSV)  But only in so far as we
are pure do men see God; not yonder but here, not then but
now, shall we see Him.  As you are pure, so shall He be to
you.  Even as the Christ Child came in all purity, so d we
seek the purity of life He brings.  Even as the shepherds
came in humility and purity of purpose, so is our worship
always to be in humbleness before the Lord.
The broad red stripe is symbolic of our Lord's sacrifice for
us.  We may celebrate the birth of a child, Jesus, but we
must also be mindful of the man, Christ.  Christmas always
brings us ultimately to Calvary.  We pause to reflect on who
we find yonder on Calvary's tree.  Just as we take the
Christmas tree to mark His birth, so we transpose it into an
old rugged cross in Lent to remind us that God "came down at
Christmas" to reveal His love and to prove the extent of His
love.  He gave His life on the cross in sacrifice for our
sin.
And then the many smaller stripes: these symbolize the
sacrifices we must make as Christians, the offerings we
would bring to be intertwined with the supreme sacrifice of
our Savior.  They may mean the wounded sheep He has brought
to the fold or the scars of our sorrows, which the Good
Shepherd bore for us, or the lesser pains and sufferings we
must bear in witness to Him in whom we believe.
The form - a staff - suggests a symbol of service: the
Savior Shepherd seeking our His own with a determination
that none shall perish; we fulfilling our purpose as those
who He has called to serve even as He came to serve.  The
form of a staff suggests life is a service, even as the
Christian life is a worship.
But of course the color and form give way to the aroma of
peppermint and its pungent taste.  Peppermint is akin to the
aromatic herb hyssop; recall the Psalmist's plea (5:17):
Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean:
Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
Old Testament scholars suggest the use of hyssop not only
for its delightful taste but also for medicinal purposes.  A
healing nature is suggested.  What better symbolism at
Christmas for us, for we are told, "With his stripes we are
healed"?(Isaiah 53:5)
It is candy, and candy cane is to be shared - broken down
into myriad pieces for all to share.  It draws us into a
fellowship of sharing.  How good it is to remind ourselves
of Jesus' statement, "This is my body," broken for us.
(Matthew 26:26)  Just as Jesus' body is broken in order to
be shared, just so our lives as good stewards must be
shared.  We come to realize as children of God and sharers
of Christ's life that only as we give shall we receive!
Love came down at Christmas, all lovely and divine.  Now in
the season of Christmas we seek to spread that love among
all men.  One symbol is the shepherd's crook, made visible
in its implications through a candy cane.  It calls us to
serve; its red bands direct us to a life of sacrifice; its
essence of mint relates the tastefulness of those who would
share.  We are also reminded that our lives might be pure,
made white by the sacrifice of our Savior, circling
ourselves and spiraling up into lives of love and peace.
