Not everyone is a big fan of candy canes, the most prominent candy seen when the holidays roll around. I love candy canes, that menthol-like feeling you get when you eat one, the festive red and white colors and the fact that candy canes hang on a Christmas tree just like an ornament!
But did you know some of these fun facts about candy canes? Not only has the peppermint candy been around for about 600 years, but at one point the candy was all white; it wasn't until 1900 that the red stripe was added to it.
And why is a candy cane shaped like a hook? Well a German choirmaster took a straight peppermint stick and shaped it into a shepherd's hook and that's how it became a candy "cane." And of course, being shaped that way, it was so much easier to adorn Christmas trees!
And can you imagine all of the candy canes that are made each year? More than 1.7 billion are made, and about 90 percent of them are sold between Thanksgiving and Christmas. Candy canes are the biggest selling candy (more so than chocolate) in the month of December. And unlike chocolate, the average candy cane has about 55 calories and no fat, so enjoy!