There are lots of sweet treats we enjoy at Christmas time, from candy canes to selection boxes and advent calendars. But where did they all come from? More often than not, we enjoy delicious festive treats without sparing a moment of thought for their origins. Don’t worry, in this blog, we explore the stories behind some of your favourite Christmas sweet treats. You’re in for a surprise!
Advent Calendars
Adults and children alike look forward to the first of December when they can finally open the first door of their advent calendar. But where did the idea for advent calendars come from?
Well, the idea supposedly came from a gentleman called Gerhard Lang who was inspired by a simplistic colourful Christmas countdown that his mother created for him. He took the design one step further and include small gifts, the idea took off. By the early 1900’s advent calendars, as we know them today, were widely popular. Do you have an advent calendar this year?
Candy Canes
Candy canes are an iconic symbol of Christmas, with their sweet peppermint flavour and swirly red and white design.
These delicious treats originated in Germany. According to folklore, candy canes were created by the choirmaster of Cologne Cathedral as a way to keep excitable children quiet during the church service on Christmas Eve (although we aren’t convinced this was an effective choice). He asked the confectioner to shape the sugary sticks into the shape of a shepherd’s crook to remind the children of the shepherds who visited the baby Jesus.
Selection Boxes
The history of where selection boxes came from is largely unknown. However, records suggest that during the 19th and 20th-century chocolatiers started to produce them and they became a popular gift but, in some cases, they would cost more than an entire week’s wages! Nowadays, the average child receives on average six selection boxes every Christmas!
Milk & Cookies
Leaving milk, cookies and a carrot out for Santa and his reindeer is something we’re sure you did as a child and has been done by children and parents alike for centuries. The tradition is based on an old Norse myth and became commercially popular during the Great Depression. Parents wanted to teach their children to be grateful for the gifts they received at Christmas by offering a small gift to Santa and his reindeer in return for delivering their presents. Adorable!
How many of these traditional Christmas sweets will you enjoy in your household this Christmas? Why not take a look at our Christmas sweets range? You might see something a little less traditional that you’d like to try this year!
View our Christmas Range >
The Sweets in the City team have handpicked products from across our Christmas collection that will look perfect nestled under the Christmas tree or tucked into a stocking by the fireplace. Whether you’re looking for a festive Christmas eve gift or a jar full of American candy favourites, we’ve got you covered! Here’s a little inspiration for how you can give your loved ones the sweetest Christmas this year.
A Christmas Eve Treat
Some of us follow the tradition of having one gift to open on the night before Christmas. Some people even create a box of smaller gifts that can be used on Christmas eve to get children (and adults) into the Christmas spirit. These boxes contain things like, a Christmas pair of pyjamas, a Christmas movie to watch before bed, and some Christmas treats to enjoy while watching it!
We think that our Merry and Bright Super Shake would be an amazing addition to your Christmas eve box, or as a stand-alone Christmas Eve treat!
Order a Merry & Bright Shake here >
Give an American sweet lover a festive treat
We all know someone who adores American sweets, so here at Sweets in the City, we’ve created a Christmas Jar of Joy filled with iconic American candy! This jar not only contains American favourites such as:
- Reece’s Peanut Butter Cups
- Nerds
- Tootsie Rolls
but it can also be personalised for FREE! Whether Santa pops this Jar of Joy under the Christmas tree as a festive surprise, or you add it to an American themed stocking, it’s sure to be a hit.
Order a Christmas Candy Jar here >
Remember that all of our sweet gifts can be personalised and delivered for FREE. Take a look at everything Sweets in the City has to offer here or view the rest of our Christmas top picks here!
Now that November is upon us, the organised people amongst us will be starting to plan for this year’s round of Secret Santa!
Did you know that the tradition of Secret Santa began in Scandinavia and was originally known as Juklapp or “knocking Christmas”? Secret Santa would knock on someone’s door, wait for it to open, throw a present inside and then quickly run away. This festive tradition might be a little questionable nowadays and has (luckily) evolved into the less invasive Secret Santa tradition we know today.
Drawing a name out of the hat is the easy part of Secret Santa., choosing a secret Santa gift is the challenging part… especially if you’re buying one for someone you don’t know very well. Whether you’re buying a secret Santa gift for a work colleague, a family member or a school friend, we think our Super Shakes are a foolproof choice, here’s why.
Secret Santa Super Shake
Here you can see our Merry & Bright Super Shake that has been personalised to make a Secret Santa gift. This Super Shake is perfect as a Secret Santa gift because it has a yummy festive fill and a label that can be personalised for FREE! That means you can create a special sweet gift that is sure to make anyone smile, for under £10!
Do you know your recipient loves a certain type of sweets, for example; fizzy sweets or retro sweets? Why not choose a different Super Shake that’s more to their taste from our range? You can turn any of our Super Shakes into the perfect Secret Santa gift by customising it & having it delivered for free. Here, you can see a Fizzy Heaven Super Shake that we’ve personalised to show you how your special gift would look.
View all our Super Shakes Here >
Our Super Shakes are our top pick as Secret Santa gifts because they fit perfectly within most people’s Secret Santa budgets, and they look delightful when they’re personalised. However, all of our sweet gifts can be personalised and delivered completely free of charge to suit your Secret Santa needs!
Why not head to our site to view all our sweet gifts and give your Secret Santa recipient a Christmas to remember!
Head to the site >
