In the early 17th century, Christians in Europe began adopting the use of Christmas trees during their Christmas holidays.
Trees were often decorated with foods such as biscuits and sometimes candy. The original Christmas tree candy was a straight, completely white cane.
Candy Stick becomes a candy cane
The first known historical reference to the reed shape, however, dates back to 1670. The worship choir at Cologne Cathedral in Germany first bent the cane-shaped sugar sticks to represent a pastor's staff. All the white candy canes were then given to the children during the long-term birth services.
The custom of clerics distributing sticks during Christmas services would spread to Europe and later to America. At that time, the sticks were still white, but sometimes candy makers would add sugar roses to further decorate the sticks. In 1847, the first historical reference to the candy cane in America appeared when a German immigrant named August Imgard decorated the Christmas tree in Wooster's home in Ohio with candy canes.