拐杖糖（Candy Cane）的由來

糖果裡如果附上一支拐杖糖,馬上就會充滿聖誕氣息...

這看起來美麗的糖果背後,也有著美麗動人的故事唷!

一位住在印第安那州的糖果製造商想要做一個能為神做見證的糖果。於是，他便創作出今日我們在聖誕節時隨處可見的柺杖糖。

他將許多象徵合併在這麼一支小小的柺杖糖中，其中包括：耶穌基督的誕生、傳道工作及為全人類受死。

• 硬糖：剛開始他用整支白色的糖果，做成硬硬的棒狀。硬實的糖果代表堅如磐石，耶穌是教會的基石，更是所堅立的應許。
• 白色：白色，代表處女所生，且生來無罪的耶穌。
• 拐杖型(J)：柺杖糖的形狀像英文字母Ｊ，代表耶穌基督(Jesus Christ)寶貴的聖名,他為了拯救我們來到世上。柺杖的形狀也正好代表了「好牧人」的杖，因祂來到世上要尋回我們，這群如羊走迷的人。
• 紅色:這位糖果製造商覺得這樣全白的柺杖糖好像過於單調。於是他便在上面加上幾條紅色的線。他用三條較小的紅線代表耶穌所受的鞭傷。因祂所受的鞭傷，使我們得著醫治。比較大的紅線是耶穌在十字架上為我們所流的寶血。因此，我們得以進入永生。

遺憾的是，柺杖糖淪為沒有意義的聖誕節飾品。但是，其中所包含的意義，卻是給「有眼可看，有耳可聽」的人。唯願這糖果能再次被用來見證耶穌基督的奇妙及慈愛。祂在聖誕節時降生在世上，祂是今日仍擁有主宰宇宙全能的大君王。

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彼前2:24 他被掛在木頭上，親身擔當了我們的罪，使我們既然在罪上死，就得以在義上活。因他受的鞭傷，你們便得了醫治。
約10:14 我是好牧人；我認識我的羊，我的羊也認識我

(English version)
A Candymaker’s Witness
A Candymaker in Indiana wanted to make a candy that would be a witness, so he made the Christmas Candy Can. He incorporated several symbols for the birth, ministry, and death of Jesus Christ.

He began with a stick of pure white, hard candy. White to symbolize the Virgin Birth and the sinless nature of Jesus, and hard to symbolize the Solid Rock, the foundation of the Church, and firmness of the promises of God.

The Candymaker made the candy in the form of a “J” to represent the precious name of Jesus, who came to earth as our Savior. It could also represent the staff of the “Good Shepherd” with which He reaches down into the ditches of the world to lift out the fallen lambs who, like all sheep, have gone astray.

Thinking that the candy was somewhat plain, the candy maker stained it with red stripes. He used three small stripes to show the stripes of the scourging. Jesus received by which we are healed. The large red stripe was for the blood shed by Christ on the cross so that we could have the promise of eternal life.

Unfortunately, the candy became known as a Candy Cane—a meaningless decoration seen at Christmas time. But the meaning is still there for those who “have eyes to see and ears to hear”. I pray that this symbol will again be used to witness To The Wonder of Jesus and His Great Love that came down at Christmas and remains the ultimate and dominant force in the universe today.