Candy Cane Meaning & Sweet Christmas Tradition For Kids

This sweet Candy Cane Christmas tradition is a simple way to make holiday guests (especially little ones!) feel extra welcome in your home.

CANDY CANE MEANING CHRISTMAS TRADITION

This sweet tradition came from my Aunt Sherol. I wish everyone could have an aunt Sherol in their life! Not only is she the one who gave me The Best Chocolate Chip Cookie bar recipe, but she is also known for this candy cane tradition.

HELP CHILDREN FEEL WELCOME IN YOUR HOME

You see, Aunt Sherol LOVES Christmas. She has a countdown for Christmas in her kitchen all year long. So on any given day of the year, you could ask her exactly how many days are left until Christmas and she could tell you.

She also LOVES children. Her goal is to always make children feel welcome and important in her home.

Each Christmas, she fills up her tree with tons and tons of candy canes, along with her regular ornaments. And each time a child comes to visit during the Christmas season, they get to choose one to take home. I remember begging my mom to take us to visit Aunt Sherol especially often during Christmas because I knew I would always get a candy cane at the end of our visit. 🙂

THE MEANING OF THE CANDY CANE

Not only is letting kids choose this Christmas candy from your tree a fun way to help them feel loved, the candy cane also has great symbolism.

Have you read the book The Legend of the Candy Cane?

That book is a sweet story about why candy canes were made. Candy canes upside down are the letter J which stands for Jesus. The candy cane right-side up looks like a shepherd crook. Christ is referred to as the good shepherd as we are all part of his "flock" that he loves and looks after.

If you're looking for a way to make your home extra-inviting this holiday season, put some candy canes on your tree and let visitors take one when they leave. Who knows, maybe it will become a tradition you'll be known for, just like my Aunt Sherol.