Candy canes are one of the most recognizable symbols (and foods) of the entire holiday season. While most people wouldn’t consider a Christmas complete with the red and white striped sticks, few people know much about their long history. Whether you use one to stir your hot chocolate or just hang them on your tree, here are 10 fun facts about this iconic candy. 1. They are very old The first reference to candy canes in America dates back to 1847 when a German immigrant from Wooster, Ohio decorated his Christmas tree with the festive candy. Candy canes weren’t commonly hung on trees until 1882, but the first candy canes predate these events by a few hundred years… 2. origins Folklore says that in Cologne, Germany in 1670, a choirmaster at the Cologne Cathedral, wishing to keep the local children quiet during the Living Creche tradition of Christmas Eve, asked a candy maker to form…
Sweet map shows most popular Christmas candy by state
Candy canes on trees. Sprinkles on cookies. Peppermint on everything. If you can’t already tell by your winter waistline, Christmas is a huge candy holiday. Consumers will spend $1.93 billion dollars on candy this year during the Christmas season, according to the National Confectionary Association. Sales will increase an estimated 2% over last year, which the NCA attributes to the improved economy and extra long shopping season this year. (There’s one more day between Black Friday and Christmas in 2017.) The National Retail Federation projects the average consumer will spend $110 on candy and food this holiday season — twice as much as most will spend on holiday decorations. So which states favor which holiday candies? Candy Store surveyed 50,000 of their customers then double checked their data with major candy distributes to bring you the interactive illustration above. What candy does your state have a sweet tooth for? Some of…