Candy or Decoration?

Does anyone really eat candy canes.

Apparently so. Candy canes are the number one selling, non-chocolate candy in December. One point seventy-six billion are manufactured annually with 90-percent of them sold between Thanksgiving and Christmas.

The bulk of those are sold the second week of December.

Now, how many are eaten and how many are used for decoration is debatable.

Originally, candy canes – or their fore runners – were created to silence choir boys.

The choirmaster of the Cologne Cathedral in Germany would dispense the confectionary treats during the Living Crèche Ceremony. The tradition that began in 1670 migrated to the United States with August Imgard of German and Swedish descent in 1847. Wooster, OH, had the honor of of hosting the occasion.

The red stripes and peppermint flavoring were added at the turn of the 20th century.

Today Catwoman sports her Jim Lee designed costume that debuted in the Hush story arc complete with candy cane.