These Christmas Candy Recipes Will Help You Sweeten the Season (2024)

FAQs

What is the importance of candy in Christmas? ›

Christmas trees adorned with sugary decorations have been a visual feast for centuries. From candy canes hanging like ornaments to strings of popcorn and cranberries, these edible embellishments not only add a touch of sweetness to the tree but also serve as a testament to the joyous spirit of the season.

A candy cane is a cane-shaped stick candy often associated with Christmastide, as well as Saint Nicholas Day. It is traditionally white with red stripes and flavored with peppermint, but the canes also come in a variety of other flavors and colors.

Luckily, the origins of the candy cane are slightly more documented than some other holiday traditions. Multiple books have been written on the subject and seem to agree on a common possible explanation: that the candy cane was first invented as an attempt to keep children quiet during the Christmas church service.

According to America's Favorite Christmas Candy by State Report, a comprehensive study by research firm HubScore that delved into a survey of the top 20 favorite Christmas candies, Kit Kat ranked top in 13 states followed by a tie between Skittles and candy canes, both ranked top in six states.

Christmas is like candy; it slowly melts in your mouth sweetening every taste bud, making you wish it could last forever.

Christmas Candy Quick Facts

72% of people eat a candy cane starting on the straight end, the rest start on the curved end. Approximately 150 million chocolate Santas are produced annually. The largest candy cane in the world was made in Switzerland. It was 51 feet long.

One of the oldest traditional candies eaten for special occasions like Christmas is marzipan. This almond-based confection dates back centuries, with origins in Asia, the Middle East, and Europe. Each region has its own uses for the sweet.

From peanut brittle to chocolate Santas, the holiday season is a time for sweets and celebration. Hundreds of millions of candy canes, chocolate Santas, and tins of peanut brittle are made each year, and millions of candy gifts are given each year.

Kul Kuls (pronounced as Kalkals) are traditional Indian Christmas sweets that are formed into little curls. These are deep-fried, sweet pastry nibbles that are served on every Indian Christmas plate. It is prepared during Christmas by Indian Catholics in Mangaloreans, Goans and Maharashtra.

This hard candy was shaped so it would resemble a “J” for Jesus or, turned upside down, a shepherd's staff. He made it white to represent the purity of Christ.

What does the red and white mean on a candy cane? ›

In 1847, he made a candy to symbolize Christ. The cane's "J" shape stands for Jesus; when turned upside-down, it becomes a shepherd's staff. The white color signifies purity; the red represents Christ's blood, shed for the world's sins, and three red stripes symbolize the trinity.

Cane: Is like the staff used by the shepherds in caring for sheep. Jesus is our “Good Shepherd.” The Color Red: Is for God's love that sent Jesus to give his life for us on the cross. The Stripes: Remind us of Jesus' suffering-his crown of thorns, the wounds in his hands and feet; and the cross on which he died.

In 1976, Mars eliminated red-colored M&M's because of health concerns over the dye amaranth (FD&C Red #2), which was a suspected carcinogen, and replaced them with orange M&M's. This was done despite the fact that M&M's did not contain the dye; the action was purely to satisfy worried consumers.

Fry & Sons and currently manufactured by Cadbury. Launched in 1866—nineteen years after Fry's created the first moulded, solid chocolate eating bar (in 1847)— Fry's Chocolate Cream is the first mass-produced chocolate bar and is the world's oldest chocolate bar brand.

When we eat a sweet holiday treat, we are taking in plenty of added sugar, plus milk is a natural source of tryptophan. Together, these properties lead to a good release of serotonin to relieve stress and make us feel happy. Maybe all those holiday sugar cookies explain how Santa stays so Jolly.

Candy is the excellent Christmas gift for people that have whatever since no person can have every type of sweet, and also no one can have way too much sweet.

Dopamine and Reward System

Dopamine, a neurotransmitter associated with pleasure and reward, plays a crucial role in the psychology of sweetness. Candy consumption activates the brain's reward system, reinforcing the association between indulging in sweets and experiencing pleasure.

The phrase "hard candy Christmas" refers to a time when families who did not have much money could only afford to give hard candy or penny candy (bulk confectionery) to their children at Christmas. The hard candy metaphor suggests that life can simultaneously be hard and sweet.