It's Christmas, and Dan Shaw has given me a great reminder for the Christmas season. This is Gary Edelbrock, and I want to wish you and your loved ones a wonderful Christmas. We have lots to look forward to in the coming year.

Yes, I said, 'Merry Christmas'

For the Holidays I found a brief history of the candy cane which I have attached below. I had not read this before and I hope you enjoy the story as much as I did. As I shopped this past few weeks for Christmas gifts I was reminded to listen to the greetings. Many of us have fewer resources to spend on gifts these days and I choose to be more picky about my spending and who profits from my purchases. If the store employees say “Happy Holidays”, I simply thank them and go to the next store. I spend my money on American made items (which forces me to look at tags), and with stores that say Merry Christmas. My philosophy has become that if your store chooses to make the largest percentage of its profits by selling gifts to people celebrating Christmas, then you need to acknowledge the correct holiday.

On a political note, the evil elves in DC passed a budget agreement before racing off to hide over the holidays. I caught a brief piece of the budget which explains the billions they plan to use will come from fees applied to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac loans. This should be interesting when they return next year and try to explain!

I wish you all a Merry Christmas, a Happy Chanukkah, Eid ul-Fitr, Kwanzaa, or Yule. Regardless of the way you choose to worship and celebrate your beliefs, may your lives be blest to the fullest with family, friends and prosperity for Chirstmas and in the New Year.

The History of the Candy Cane

"One of the most often seen symbols of Christmas is the candy cane. Not only are candy canes used as a sweet Christmastime treat but they are also used for decoration. How did this seasonal candy get its familiar shape, and when did it become part of Christmas tradition?

"When the practice of using Christmas trees to celebrate Christmas became popular in Europe the people there began making decorations for their trees. Many of the decorations were food items including cookies and candy. Our modern candy cane appeared at about this time in the seventeenth century. These were straight, white sticks of sugar candy.

"Part of the Christmas celebration at the Cologne Cathedral were pageants of living creches. In about 1670 the choirmaster there had sticks of candy bent into the shape of a shepherd’s crook and passed them out to children who attended the ceremonies. This became a popular tradition, and eventually the practice of passing out the sugar canes at living creche ceremonies spread throughout Europe.

"The use of candy canes on Christmas trees made its way to America by the 1800′s, however during this time they were still pure white. They are represented this way on Christmas cards made before 1900, and it is not until the early 20th century that they appear with their familiar red stripes.

"Many people have given religious meaning to the shape and form of the candy cane. It is said that its shape is like the letter “J” in Jesus’ name. It is also in the shape of the shepherds’ crook, symbolic of how Jesus, like the “Good Shepherd” watches over his children like little lambs. It is a hard candy, solid like a “rock”, the foundation of the Church. The flavor of peppermint is similar to another member of the mint family, hyssop. In the Old Testament hyssop was used for purification and sacrifice, and this is said to symbolize the purity of Jesus and the sacrifice he made.

"Some say the white of the candy cane represents the purity of Jesus and his virgin birth. The bold red stripe represents God’s love. The three fine stripes are said by some to represent the Holy Trinity: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Others say they represent the blood spilled at the beating Jesus received at the hands of the Roman soldiers.

"From its plain early beginnings to its familiar shape and color of today, the candy cane is a symbol of Christmas and a reminder of the meaning of the holiday." *

*Original author unknown

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