Merry Christmas

I don't know about all of you but I love candy canes at Christmas time.  I always have and I really looked forward to hanging them on the tree each year with my sister.  The tree just wasn't the tree without those candy canes.  There is actually a story behind the candy cane as to how it came about and it is known as; 

The Legend of the Candy Cane
 Many years ago a candy maker wanted to make a candy at Christmas time that would serve as a witness to his Christian faith. He wanted to incorporate several symbols for the birth, ministry and death of Jesus. He began with a stick of pure white hard candy; white to symbolize the Virgin Birth and the sinless nature of Jesus; hard to symbolize the solid rock, the foundation of the Church; firmness to represent the promise of God.

The Candy Maker made the candy in the form of a 'J' to represent the name of Jesus, who came to the earth as our Saviour. He thought it could also represent the staff of the Good Shepherd with which he reached down into the ditches of the world to lift out the fallen lambs who like all sheep have gone astray.

Thinking that the candy was somewhat plain, the candy maker stained it with red stripes. He used three small stripes to show the stripes of the scourging Jesus received, by which we are healed. The large red stripe was for the blood shed by Christ on the cross so that we could have the promise of eternal life. Unfortunately the candy became known as a candy cane - a decoration seen at Christmas time. But the true meaning is still there for those who have eyes to see and ears to hear.

Merry Christmas Everyone!