A candy maker in Indiana wanted to make a special kind of candy that would tell the story of Christmas.

He decided to begin with a stick of pure, white, hard candy. The white would symbolize Jesus’ birth from a virgin, and His sinless life.

He made it hard to let us know that Jesus is the "Solid Rock," and to symbolize the firm promises of God.

Next he bent it into the form of a "J" to stand for Jesus. Turned upside down, it looks like a shepherd’s staff, reminding us that Jesus is the Good Shepherd.

Finally, he decided to put stripes on it to remind us that Jesus suffered and died for us – three thin stripes to represent the scourging that Jesus received before His death, and one thick one to represent the blood that He shed for us on the cross.

Every true candy cane will have these symbols on them, reminding us that Jesus is our Lord and Savior, who came to earth so that we could be with our Heavenly Father forever.