Perhaps when you think of Christmas, you think about the excitement of roving the stores and shops to discover the perfect gift for each person that is on your Christmas list, or you think about lovingly and carefully wrapping the gifts with the type of paper and bows that will bring a glint to the eye of the recipient. It could be that your Christmas memories are filled with wintertime travel to a relative’s house where the family gathers for a feast unlike any other all throughout the year. If you are like many, then the special hard candy treats are part of Christmas too.
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 favorite, and most common, types of hard candy that appears everywhere during the Christmas season is the candy cane, in all of its many varieties and assortments. From the small candy canes that seem to only take a lick or two to devour to giant candied sticks as large as a baseball bat, and everything in between, candy canes are everywhere during the holidays.
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.
In many families, there is a tradition of leaving some fresh Christmas cookies or chocolate chip cookies out, along with a nice glass of milk, so that Santa can recharge and rejuvenate himself for the long night of delivering gifts that he faces. There are other families that also leave out some hard candy as part of their family tradition, and often a candy cane or two are the treats of choice for the jolly and generous gentleman.
There are many varieties of hard candy that are not especially associated with Christmas, which are also long-time favorites of people for a variety of reasons. For the most part, it seems that people has a tendency to want to enjoy those favorite candies that they remember from their childhood. As a result, you can now find a candy store in just about every mall across the country, which not only has a nice selection of chocolates, but also bins and barrels full of “old fashioned” candies, such as humbugs, that have been popular for generations. Of course, humbug candies are in no way associated with the term, “Bah, humbug”, as quoted in Dickens’ A Christmas Carol.
Nowadays, you can also find gourmet gift baskets that incorporate the favorite brands and varieties of hard candy right alongside a selection of gourmet chocolates and other delightful treats. These thoughtfully put together gift baskets can be an excellent gift to give at Christmas or for any other occasion for those who love chocolate and hard sweets.
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