Chip Wade, head creator and designer of Wade Works Creative, shares the best gift ideas this holiday season on ‘Fox & Friends Weekend.’
during Christmas season, The candy cane industry is seeing a huge increase in sales.
Carly Schildhaus, director of public affairs and communications at the National Confectioners Association (NCA), told Fox Business in an email that in 2023, confectionery sales during the holiday season are set to approach $7 billion, a 3% increase in that number. are supposed to. In 2024.
It’s no surprise that according to the NCA website, Always a Treat, most candy cane sales occur between the months of November and December, with the most popular time for sales being the second week of December.
Candy canes have become a staple of the Christmas season, both for decoration and as sweet treats. (/iStock)
Today, candy cane flavors extend far beyond the classic peppermint. There are candy canes based on favorite candies like Nerds, Swedish Fish, Sour Patch, SweetArts, Lifesavers and others.
Today you can find even more obscure candy cane flavors like chocolate, bacon, and even mac and cheese.
Candy canes are not only eaten, they are also used Decorate the Christmas tree.
In fact, half of Americans plan to use candy canes as decorations for their tree, or use treats to package packages, Schildhaus told Fox Business.
Candy canes are often used to decorate the Christmas tree. (/iStock)
How can you gift stocks to your loved ones this Christmas to start their investing journey?
While modern times have brought unique candy cane flavors to decorate Christmas trees, they did not always come in such a large assortment, and they were not traditionally used to decorate trees.
The exact origins of candy canes are a bit unclear, although there is a common theory to support the origins of the popular holiday treat.
Candy canes, in their most basic form, are believed to date back to the 1670s as a way to keep young singers quiet during church services in Germany.
During that time, according to Always a Treat, the choir of Cologne Cathedral in Germany gave young singers sugar sticks during the Living Cheche ceremony to keep them quiet.
Candy canes and their flavors have evolved over the years. Today, the flavor extends far beyond classic peppermint. (Richard Lautens/Toronto Star via Getty Images/Getty Images)
“In honor of the cowboys featured in the story, they transformed the sweets into little cowboy pieces,” the website notes.
According to the site, candy canes first appeared in the United States when August Imgard, a German-Swedish immigrant, decorated a Christmas tree in Wooster, Ohio, with paper ornaments and candy canes in 1847, introducing the idea to the rest of the country. The tradition started. ,
Candy canes were not introduced until years later Widely sold throughout the country.
According to Always a Treat, when the candy canes were originally sold, there were no signature red stripes. According to the source, the stripes did not emerge until the late 20th century.
Candy canes are a popular stocking stuffer and can also be stuck on gifts for added charm. (/iStock)
Is there a Christmas event this year? There will be more expenditure on feast this year
Major candy cane sellers in the early years of sugar treats included Doscher Candies and Bob’s Candies.
Doscher Candies, a company started by Claus Doscher in Cincinnati, Ohio, made candy canes in 1871 by cooking the mixture in a copper kettle, using peppermint oil, as well as rolling and kneading it by hand, according to the company’s website.
Bob’s Candies was started around 1920 in Georgia by Bob McCormack, according to the website of the Ferrara Candy Company, which produces the brand.
According to Georgia Public Broadcasting, McCormack’s brother-in-law, Father Gregory Keller, was responsible for inventing the groundbreaking machine used to twist the candy and bend it into the shape of a cane.
Most candy cane sales occur during the Christmas season. (Hauke-Christian Dietrich/Picture Alliance via Getty Images/Getty Images)
Get Fox Business by clicking here
Today, candy canes are so popular that there is even a day dedicated to this treat. Every year, on 26 December “National Candy Cane Day.”
As far as the “right” way to consume sweet treats is concerned, the verdict is still out.
According to the NCA, fifty-four percent of people eat candy canes starting with the straight end, while 30 percent eat the curved end first.
According to the organization, breaking a candy cane is another way to eat it, with 16% of people taking this approach.
