This is what the Candy Cane is all about...

The Candy Cane was first introduced in the late 1880's by a candy-maker in Indiana. He wanted to make a candy that could be a witness during the holiday season. He began with a stick of pure, white to show the virgin birth and the sinless nature of Jesus Christ. The hardness of the candy was to represent Jesus as the Solid Rock, the foundation of the church, and the firmness of the promises of God. The white stripes on the Candy Cane represent the purity of Christ. The small red stripes symbolize the scourging of Jesus before he was hung on the cross. The large red stripes show the blood that Jesus shed for each of us on the cross.

The shape of the Candy Cane represents the shepherd's staff because Jesus is the good shepherd. If you flip the Candy Cane around, you will notice the letter "J" which is the first letter of Jesus' name.