# Candy cane Jesus is the reason for the season?? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 22, 2007, 3:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/candy-cane-jesus-is-the-reason-for-the-season/430897 "2007-12-22T03:22:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2007, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/candy-cane-jesus-is-the-reason-for-the-season/430897/21 "2007-12-22T17:17:50Z")
Okay, it makes sense now, co-opting non-religious candy canes and insisting they’re part of the Christian tradition. Especially since this is the same community that, in past years, has exhorted us to remember that on the 4th of July, Jesus is our true patriot and should be honored first. I like the axial tilt thing, too! **elfbabe** is home for the holidays, I’ll coerce her into going into town to get a photo! Maybe we’ll send it to jesusoftheweek. ---
**Author:** ![Monstera\_deliciosa](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monstera_deliciosa/32/109_2.png) [@Monstera\_deliciosa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monstera_deliciosa)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2007, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/candy-cane-jesus-is-the-reason-for-the-season/430897/22 "2007-12-22T18:01:00Z")
[QUOTE=Wile E] There’s a street nearby that has one house that always had a large cross covered with Christmas lights. I always thought that was a wrong message because the cross symbolizes his death and sacrifice. Christmas is to celebrate his birth. So it just seemed bad to celebrate his birth by reminding of of his death. And it was even more tacky to cover it with Christmas lights. Well, that house didn’t put up their cross this year but further down that same street someone else put up an even larger one. :rolleyes: [/QUOTE] I’m with you on the :rolleyes:. I even started a thread about my neighbors and their lighted Christmas crosses last year. What I failed to mention in that thread were the folks who put a giant (and I do mean huuuge) cross of white lights on the down slope of their roof. It doesn’t look at all festive. To me, it just looks like they are afraid that folks in low-flying aircraft won’t know that they are Christian otherwise. ---
**Author:** ![Anastasaeon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/73ab20/32.png) [@Anastasaeon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anastasaeon)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2007, 8:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/candy-cane-jesus-is-the-reason-for-the-season/430897/23 "2007-12-23T08:23:54Z")
[QUOTE=vivalostwages] Take a pic as directed and send it to the folks at [www.jesusoftheweek.com](http://www.jesusoftheweek.com). [/QUOTE] Thank you. [This](http://www.jesusoftheweek.com/jesii/439/index.html) just made my day. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2007, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/candy-cane-jesus-is-the-reason-for-the-season/430897/24 "2007-12-23T15:58:57Z")
Thanks to **elfbabe** , a photo may be found [here](http://pics.livejournal.com/elfbabe/pic/000yq0fy/). ---
**Author:** ![Gorsnak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gorsnak/32/7587_2.png) [@Gorsnak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gorsnak)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2007, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/candy-cane-jesus-is-the-reason-for-the-season/430897/25 "2007-12-23T16:07:42Z")
[QUOTE=Qadgop the Mercotan] Thanks to **elfbabe** , a photo may be found [here](http://pics.livejournal.com/elfbabe/pic/000yq0fy/). [/QUOTE] I like the gifts piled at the base of the cross, just to emphasize that Christmas is about God sacrificing His Son for our sins, and not about spending lots of money on electronic gadgets at Best Buy for the kiddies. Errrrrr… ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2007, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/candy-cane-jesus-is-the-reason-for-the-season/430897/26 "2007-12-23T16:20:03Z")
[QUOTE=Tuckerfan] [This one makes my brain hurt.](http://www.jesusoftheweek.com/jesii/479/index.html)… [/QUOTE] What ever you do, don’t look at the [scourged Jesus.](http://www.jesusoftheweek.com/jesii/480/index.html) It’s like Jesus and a candy cane got mixed in a blender. ---
**Author:** ![Speaker\_for\_the\_Dead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c77e96/32.png) [@Speaker\_for\_the\_Dead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Speaker_for_the_Dead)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2007, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/candy-cane-jesus-is-the-reason-for-the-season/430897/27 "2007-12-23T16:21:26Z")
Ooh, there are even presents under the Christmas cross. How biconfessional. ---
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2007, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/candy-cane-jesus-is-the-reason-for-the-season/430897/28 "2007-12-23T16:26:56Z")
[QUOTE=Speaker for the Dead] Ooh, there are even presents under the Christmas cross. How biconfessional. [/QUOTE] So, you’re saying that Jesus was a “switch hitter”? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Omega\_Glory](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/7c8e57/32.png) [@Omega\_Glory](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omega_Glory)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2007, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/candy-cane-jesus-is-the-reason-for-the-season/430897/29 "2007-12-23T16:36:25Z")
That reminds me of a picture I just saw on myspace. You have to scroll down to the center of the page to see it. [http://www.pyzam.com/graphics/details/4483](http://www.pyzam.com/graphics/details/4483) ---
**Author:** ![Annie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/858c86/32.png) [@Annie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2007, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/candy-cane-jesus-is-the-reason-for-the-season/430897/30 "2007-12-23T17:21:20Z")
I’m sure the Mother of Christ will be pleased to know her traditional place of lamentation at the foot of the cross has been userped by some empty yet attractive packages. Thank **elfbabe** for running the fools errand with the camera. ---
**Author:** ![OtakuLoki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ac8455/32.png) [@OtakuLoki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OtakuLoki)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2007, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/candy-cane-jesus-is-the-reason-for-the-season/430897/31 "2007-12-23T17:52:34Z")
Thanks, **Qadgop** , and **elfbabe**. IMNSHO, it’s the presents at the base of the cross that really take the image from the realm of :rolleyes: and into :smack:. ---
**Author:** ![Red\_Skeezix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/aca169/32.png) [@Red\_Skeezix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Red_Skeezix)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2007, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/candy-cane-jesus-is-the-reason-for-the-season/430897/32 "2007-12-23T17:54:18Z")
This was legend of the candy cane: [http://www.noelnoelnoel.com/trad/candycane.html](http://www.noelnoelnoel.com/trad/candycane.html) It seems less plausible than the pretzel story: [http://oh.essortment.com/pretzelhistory\_raxn.htm](http://oh.essortment.com/pretzelhistory_raxn.htm) Honestly not sure about their origins or if this is just some fantasy pushed on me in my youth. Another one that was pushed was the idea that the christmas tree was a symbol for everlasting life (Evergreen), but that seems to conflict with the idea that the christmas tree covered with decorations as some symbol of the tree in the garden of eden. It would be nice if some of the religious elements that are co-opting other cultural symbols and changing their meanings would agree on what the supposed myth is supposed to be. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2007, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/candy-cane-jesus-is-the-reason-for-the-season/430897/33 "2007-12-24T02:43:29Z")
[QUOTE=OtakuLoki] Thanks, **Qadgop** , and **elfbabe**. IMNSHO, it’s the presents at the base of the cross that really take the image from the realm of :rolleyes: and into :smack:. [/QUOTE] LOL, both **elfbabe** and I missed noticing the presents at the base of the cross!! ---
**Author:** ![Random](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/57b2e6/32.png) [@Random](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Random)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2007, 3:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/candy-cane-jesus-is-the-reason-for-the-season/430897/34 "2007-12-24T03:00:49Z")
[QUOTE=Qadgop the Mercotan] LOL, both **elfbabe** and I missed noticing the presents at the base of the cross!! [/QUOTE] They’re part of the Passion of Christ. In addition to crowning him with thorns and increasing his thirst with vinegar, they taunted him with presents he couldn’t reach. ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2007, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/candy-cane-jesus-is-the-reason-for-the-season/430897/35 "2007-12-24T03:02:26Z")
Yeah, but if you take a close look, those packages are filled with nothing but air. Not the kind of present that I would want! ---
**Author:** ![Random](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/57b2e6/32.png) [@Random](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Random)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2007, 3:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/candy-cane-jesus-is-the-reason-for-the-season/430897/36 "2007-12-24T03:28:16Z")
Those fiends! ---
**Author:** ![Speaker\_for\_the\_Dead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c77e96/32.png) [@Speaker\_for\_the\_Dead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Speaker_for_the_Dead)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2007, 5:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/candy-cane-jesus-is-the-reason-for-the-season/430897/37 "2007-12-24T05:26:26Z")
[QUOTE=Tuckerfan] So, you’re saying that Jesus was a “switch hitter”? 😉 [/QUOTE] I think of him as hedging his bets. ---
**Author:** ![BMalion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e274bd/32.png) [@BMalion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BMalion)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2007, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/candy-cane-jesus-is-the-reason-for-the-season/430897/38 "2007-12-26T19:54:20Z")
It’s funny to think that in a few years you’ll have the weird people explaining how “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Riendeer” is actually a secret Christian metaphor. I’m a Christian and _I’m_ embarrassed by that stuff. ---
**Author:** ![Moirai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/96bed5/32.png) [@Moirai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moirai)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2007, 4:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/candy-cane-jesus-is-the-reason-for-the-season/430897/39 "2007-12-27T04:44:29Z")
I actually almost did a spit-take when I saw [this one](http://www.jesusoftheweek.com/jesii/459/index.html). 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![PunditLisa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/4af34b/32.png) [@PunditLisa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PunditLisa)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2007, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/candy-cane-jesus-is-the-reason-for-the-season/430897/40 "2007-12-27T16:02:14Z")
I cannot believe that they’re trying to get $414 + $73 s/h for the scourged and bloodied Jesus. Does it cheapen my faith that the spendthrift in me would just as soon buy a regular Jesus and decorate it myself? “Kids! Time to decorate Jesus!!” [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/candy-cane-jesus-is-the-reason-for-the-season/430897.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/candy-cane-jesus-is-the-reason-for-the-season/430897.md?page=3)