Today is National Candy Cane Day - Have a Candy Cane Hunt!

Today is National Candy Cane Day - according to Daysoftheyear dot com, "According to German folklore, the first candy canes were made in the 17th century when a choirmaster in Cologne, Germany, needed to find a way to keep the children quiet during the exceptionally long Christmas Eve Mass.

So he ordered peppermint-flavored candy sticks from a local confectioner, but with a few twists of his own, steeping them in religious symbolism. Firstly, he requested the sticks to be on the shape we know them so they could be a visual representation of sorts of the canes that the shepherds coming to visit the baby Jesus might have had. Some also say that when turned upside-down, the candy cane becomes the letter J, which stands for Jesus.

Furthermore, the choirmaster asked for the sticks to be white (to represent the sinless, pure life Jesus lived) and red (to represent the blood Jesus lost when he was crucified for the sins of mankind). "

So, here are a couple ideas of ways you could celebrate . . . 

• Plan a Candy Cane Hunt for the children you love - think Easter Egg Hunt and substitute Candy Canes. Hang them on branches, doors, bushes, anything in your yard, or if the weather is too bad, plan an indoor hunt.
• You will find a recipe for Candy Cane Bark at this link - make some to enjoy with those you love.

And, "did you know that there are actually a number of benefits which are associated with candy canes? Candy canes are made from water, peppermint oil, and sugar. These ingredients can serve as a mood booster, as well as aiding digestion and helping with bad breath."

Enjoy!