There are special aspects and traditions that help make Christmas wonderful and memorable, such as spending hours and hours wandering through the malls and shops to find just the perfect Christmas present for each person on your list, thoughtfully wrapping each gift and tucking it beneath the Christmas tree, holiday travel, and family and friends gathering around a dinner table laden with favorite foods. But for many people, Christmas would simply not be complete without the inclusion of special Christmas hard candy in their stocking.
Many people also have fond memories as children of visiting the homes of family members or friends and being greeted by bowls of hard candy, such as red and white peppermint discs wrapped in clear cellophane or those bright and multicolored ribbon candies. Most children had the opportunity to begin to learn the meaning of patience, and to practice it as well, as they waited with wide eyes and watering mouths to be offered a chance to snatch up a handful of the sweets.
One of the most popular and common types of hard candy, which is also a perpetual favorite of children of all ages, is the ubiquitous candy cane, which comes is a huge range of sizes. These can range from the smallest of candy canes that can be devoured in a lick or two all the way to the giant sticks of striped candy that seem as big as a baseball bat, which can be seen in just about every establishment during the holidays, used as decorations or available as treats.
Many people use candy canes to decorate their Christmas trees, while others tuck them into the Christmas stocking. Often a candy cane will find its way into a rich cup of hot chocolate, which adds an extra dimension of peppermint flavor and blends so well with the chocolate beverage.