The red and white striped candy cane has become one of the most popular symbols of Christmas. Legend has it that in 1670 a German choirmaster, wishing to remedy the noise caused by children during church, asked a local candy maker to make sugar sticks for them. He asked to add a crock to the top of each stick, which would remind the children of the shepherds who visited the infant Jesus. The candy was originally white in color. The candy cane became associated with Christmas time.
The white canes made their appearance in the U.S. in 1847. Designed by a candy maker in Indiana, he thought about several aspects of Christmas and used these ideas in the candy canes design. The pure white represents both the virgin birth of Jesus and His sinless life on earth. The smaller red stripes symbolize the "stripes" Jesus received when He was whipped shortly before He died. The larger red stripes stand for his blood that was shed as he died on the cross. The curled top makes it appear as a shepherd's staff. Upside down, the cane forms the letter "J" the first letter of the name of Jesus. Most of these symbols are not commonly known today.
ref - American Holidays - Bill Perry'
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