What is the candy cane poem?

The candy cane poem is a poem that is often used in religious settings to compare a candy cane to the sacrifice that Jesus made. It is often used at Christmas time to minister to children.

Look at the Candy Cane

What do you see?

Stripes that are red

Like the blood shed for me

White is for my Savior

Who’s sinless and pure!

“J” is for Jesus My Lord, that's for sure!

Turn it around

And a staff you will see

Jesus my shepherd

Was born for Me!

The poem is often accompanied by a story of the way that the candy cane was created. This is called the legend of the candy cane and details the way that a candy maker created the candy cane in order to minister to people at Christmas.

The candy maker wanted to remind people of the true reason that Christmas happens while giving them a sweet treat that would make them happy. The candy maker devised a plan to use two colors that were extremely meaningful in the Bible as well as a shape that could both represent Jesus and the staff that he used to lead his children when they went astray. The candy maker then gave these candy canes out along with a story about the way Jesus is like a candy cane.