Symbolism in the Candy Cane

If you would like to listen to today's devotional, please click here

 Dear Friends,
Symbolism in the Candy Cane

Each year at Christmas our church gives out a candy cane with a copy of the Christian message attached to it. It's a great way of sharing the message of Christmas with those who don't know the true reason for Christmas and is also a great reminder to those of us who do, to keep Christ at the centre.

The letter J for Jesus: The candy cane is shaped in the letter 'J', and is a reminder to us of Jesus, the Son of God, who came to earth to save us.

“Don’t be afraid, Mary,” the angel told her, “for you have found favour with God! You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus. He will be very great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David. Luke 1:30-32 (NLT)

The Shepherd's staff: From one viewpoint the candy cane is the letter 'J', but turn it the other way round and we have the shape of a shepherd's crook. The shepherds, sent by the angels, were amongst the first to visit Mary and Joseph and worship Jesus. 

When the angels had returned to heaven, the shepherds said to each other, “Let’s go to Bethlehem! Let’s see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.” Luke 2:15 (NLT)

Jesus later revealed himself to be the Good Shepherd.

“I am the good shepherd; I know my own sheep, and they know me, just as my Father knows me and I know the Father. So I sacrifice my life for the sheep." John 10:14-15 (NLT)

Rock: The cane is made of hard candy rock and reminds us that Jesus is our rock, the one we can depend on, our stronghold and firm foundation.

The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my saviour; my God is my rock, in whom I find protection. He is my shield, the power that saves me, and my place of safety. Psalm 18:2 (NLT)

Red stripes: These remind us that Jesus' blood was shed for each one of us. He took the punishment for our sins on himself. 

He is so rich in kindness and grace that he purchased our freedom with the blood of his Son and forgave our sins. Ephesians 1:7 (NLT)

White: The pureness of Jesus. In him, there is no sin. He is pure and holy.

For you were called to this kind of life, as Isaiah said, He [Jesus] did no wrong deed, and no evil word came from His mouth. The Anointed One suffered for us and left us His example so that we could follow in His steps. 1 Peter 2:22 (VOICE)

Jesus also cleanses and purifies us from all sin when we accept him as our Saviour and Lord.

If we walk step by step in the light, where the Father is, then we are ultimately connected to each other through the sacrifice of Jesus His Son. His blood purifies us from all our sins. 1 John 1:7 (VOICE)

Would you consider giving the candy cane as a gift to someone this Christmas and share the meaning to be found in it? The candy cane can be given to someone as a token of our love and care for them. Reminding us again that Jesus loved us so much that he was willing to come to earth as a tiny, vulnerable baby, to live amongst us and to die for us that we might be welcomed into God's family. 

To Think About:
Would you spend some time in the lead up to Christmas reflecting on the candy cane and the message behind it? Meditate on the verses mentioned. Is there one in particular that God is drawing your attention to?

As well as considering gifting a candy cane to someone, why not buy some for yourself and hang them on your Christmas tree? Then, every time you see them, you will be reminded once again of the reason for Christmas. May it prompt you to give your praise to God who made a way to show you just how much he loves you.

What other Christmas items (or activities) do you have (or do) at home which help to remind you about Jesus during this season?


For God so [greatly] loved and dearly prized the world, that He [even] gave His [One and] only begotten Son, so that whoever believes and trusts in Him [as Saviour] shall not perish, but have eternal life. John 3:16 (AMP)

If you enjoyed reading this devotional blog, then you may like to know that I have two devotional books both of which are available to buy from Amazon. (The content of these books is material adapted from past blog posts.) 


This is my latest book, published in November 2018.

"Dear Friend...52 Weekly Devotions to Encourage, Challenge and Inspire" Volume 2. 

The book's format is the same as my first one with the added extra of room for journalling after each devotion. To learn more, click here







"Dear Friend... Vol 1 is available from Amazon as a paperback book and also to download on Kindle.

To learn more, please click here






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