Candy cane and its significance

One of the most recognisable and popular symbols of the season, the crooked sweet, we know as the candy cane is not only found in sweet shops, but is also seen as a symbol of the season on Christmas cards, Christmas trees and other festive decorations.

However, with commercialisation, the significance of the candy cane has been forgotten. The origin of this candy cane, which is a significance of the humble root of Christianity, can be traced back to the 17th century.

The first hard sugar candy canes were straight and white and were produced by professional bakers. It was during the same time that Europeans began to adopt the Christmas tree on a large scale, and among the popular decorations were cookies and sugar stick candy.

It was a choirmaster of the Cologne Cathedral who first came up with the idea of giving candy sticks to children to keep them quiet during the long church service. As he felt the candy should reflect the season, they were bent in the shape of the crook in honour of the shepherds who first worshipped the Christ child.

The red and white candy canes we are so familiar with today may have emerged between 1900 and 1905, because most earlier pictures depict only white canes.

The message of the first Christmas cards...

Most of you must be aware that the first Christmas card for sale was designed by an artist in London named John Calcott Horsley. He was commissioned by a wealthy British businessman named Sir Henry Cole in 1843 to design a card to send his friends and professional acquaintances.

The inscription inside read 'Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year' as merry was then a spiritual word meaning 'blessed'. Of the original thousand cards printed for Sir Cole, twelve are said to be in existence in private collections.

When Santa Claus became part of festive celebrations

There are many legends about the origin of Santa Claus and the most popular one is that of St. Nicholas, a priest in Turkey who was recognised for his generosity to those in need. He became known for his late night gifts and the granting of wishes, and the stories of his deeds spread throughout the land.

He was made the patron saint of children and a popular figure in Christianity. He died around 350 AD. He came to be depicted as a jolly man sporting a white beard, wearing the familiar red suit we came to know with time.

There were many stories written in the 1800s about St. Nicholas and how he came to be known as Santa Claus. The first department store Santas originated by the 1890s.

Today, he is here to stay and children all over the world know him and love him. In England, he is called Father Christmas, in France, Pere Noel, in USA and Canada, he is known as Santa Claus and in our country we call him Naththal Seeya in Sinhala and Nattar Thaththa in Tamil.

Who created 'Frosty the Snowman'

The snowman is a popular figure during the festive season and most children in foreign countries

experiencing winter, enjoy making this rolly-polly figure during the season. Some snowmen consist of two snowballs and some are made with three.

In Japan the snowman who is called the snow daruma usually consists of two snow balls. The popular character 'Frosty the Snowman' was a Tin Pan Alley novelty created as a follow-up to Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer by Jack Nelson and Steve Rolling in 1950. It was sold to Gene Autry who recorded it.

Frosty is the most famous snowman today with television cartoons and children's books in his honour.

How bon bons originated

The bon bon, also called the Christmas cracker, owes its origin to a businessman named Tom Smith. Initially he discovered the 'bon bon' - a sugared almond wrapped in a twisted tissue paper on a trip to Paris way

 back in 1840, and later developed it to the popular form of bon bon we know today.

The idea to introduce crackers into the bon bon he sold in his shops had come about on hearing the crackle of a log as he threw it into the fire. Most of today's bon bons have tiny gifts inside them, except those made for decor.