It's no secret that the holidays are loaded with good foods and sweet treats. Easter eggs and Valentine's Day chocolates may come easily to mind, but Christmas has its own share of themed holiday candies. From the humble candy cane, to gourmet chocolates and truffles, the aisles of the stores are full of things to tempt the taste buds.

The most well-known candy for this season is probably the peppermint cane. There are stories to be found that the red and white was invented by someone who wanted the colors to represent the purity of the Virgin Mary, and the blood that Jesus shed; or that the candy canes were symbols where Christians could recognize each other in times of persecution, but these have no foundations in truth. With origins going back to the 1600s, the candy cane has long been both a sweet, and a holiday decoration. The first sticks were plain white, with the red striping being added somewhere in the early 1900s. Today, the candy canes come in all colors and flavors, and also in different shapes, thanks to the modernization of the manufacturing processes.

Fudge is another sweet that gains in popularity over the holiday season. Part of the reason for this is that fudge will not set properly in the warmer and more humid weather. Fudge is available in a wide variety of flavors, and also a wide price range. The exquisite handmade varieties will obviously be more expensive than their mass-produced counterparts, but are often well worth the investment. Familiar flavors include chocolate, dark chocolate, peppermint, white, butterscotch, maple, and peanut butter, but candy boutiques offer ever wider ranges to tempt those with a sweet tooth.

While candy canes and fudge seem to be fairly widespread in their popularity, some areas have specific sweets that are renowned only in that region. Chocolate is the popular sweet throughout Europe, and many times it is molded to look like Santa or another popular Christmas shape. Marzipan is another European Christmas treat, often shaped and colored to look like bite-sized fruits. In Spain and Italy, favored nougat is a seasonal sweet, while in France it is truffles and candied chestnuts that are eaten. Candied ginger, also sometimes called crystallized ginger, is thought to have originated in Thailand, but it has now spread through Asia to other parts of the world as a seasonal candy.

Turkish delight-made famous in C. S. Lewis's book The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe (1)-originated in Turkey, but can now be found throughout Europe, and in specialty shops throughout the globe. While the pink, rose flavored candy is probably the most popular, Turkish delight can also be found in lemon, mint, and many other different flavors and colors. In Mexico, the traditional treat was made from amaranth, pumpkin seeds, and honey. Those living in Greek celebrate Christmas with sugar cookies, and save the sweet sugary candies for the New Year. Russians, too, seem to prefer cakes rather than candies at Christmas time. No matter where in the world Christmas is celebrated, it always seems to involve a sweet delight of some description.

It is very easy for shoppers get stuck in the same routine when it comes to Christmas food. Sometimes a trip to an international food store, or even a visual walk through a magazine, is all that is needed to start opening the doors of exploration. Items that were popular in bygone times may be making a comeback, and what is favored in a different geographical region may now also be available through online shopping. International retailers indicate that they do most of their business when it comes to the holiday season, importing things from the parent country and dispatching them to those who now feel far away from home. With the senses being so closely linked to memories, it is little wonder that, when the holidays arrive, people are searching for a way to get that bit of comfort food, and the sweet taste of home once more.

Lewis, C S. The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. 1st. London, UK: Geoffrey Bles, 1950. Print.

 


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