Principal Bans Candy Canes Because 'J' Shape Stands For Jesus

[Polybius]

OMAHA, NB (CBSMiami/CNN) – An elementary school principal in Omaha, Nebraska is on administrative leave after asking teachers to not celebrate Christmas in classrooms.

Principal Jennifer Sinclair sent out an internal memo which included a list of Christmas-related items and activities that could not be used in class at Manchester Elementary School.

Items ban included images of Santas or Christmas items on worksheets, trees in classrooms, singing carols, playing Christmas music, making ornaments and candy canes.

According to Sinclair, the ‘J’ shape of a candy cane is for Jesus and the red and white colors represent his blood and resurrection.

https://miami.cbslocal.com/2018/12/07/principal-bans-candy-canes-because-j-shape-stands-for-jesus/

I've been eating candy canes for 40 years in December, and it never crossed my mind about it being a J, this is crazy.

[jcgoldie]

1. Well...

...she means well I suppose.

[Polybius]

4. That is true

It's just that it doesn't stand for Jesus.

[marble falls]

96. I'm a christian, can I still eat the rugelach my neighbor sends over at the holidays????

Or is she being disrespectful of other's holidays????

[Mariana]

110. You'd have to ask Principal Sinclair.

Although it doesn't seem her ideas got the support she expected from the school board. Oopsie.

[Ilsa]

2. OFFS. The J shape doesn't stand for "Jesus."

It creates a hook to hang them on a tree or the opening of Christmas stockings.

[oberliner]

91. Yes, it does

In Indiana, a candy maker wanted to make a candy that could be a reminder of Jesus Christ, so he made the Christmas candy cane. He started off with a stick of pure white hard candy. The white color symbolized the virgin birth and the sinless nature of Jesus, and the hard candy symbolized the solid rock which was the foundation of the church, and firmness of the promises of God.

The candy maker made the candy in the form of a J, which represented the name of Jesus and the staff of the Good Shepherds. He then stained it with three stripes which showed the scourging Jesus received, and symbolized the blood shed by Christ on the cross. When you break the cane, it reminds us that Jesus' body was broken for us.

https://www.spanglercandy.com/our-brands/candy-canes/legends

Edit to add: Snopes says this legend is made-up.

[Ilsa]

97. Then I guess I'm as devilish as someone who would hang a cross upside-down.

I'm >60 years old and candy canes have never meant this to me, and I had a very devout upbringing. I have never heard this from anyone.

I think it's an urban legend (maybe originated by Fox?) to attempt to put Christ into Christmas to start an argument.

[oberliner]

102. I hadn't heard that either

But maybe others had and believed it to be true? I don't know.

[Mariana]

109. Fox News didn't originate it, I heard that story a long time ago.

It probably hasn't been widely told because it is so ridiculous even most fundies roll their eyes at it.

[2naSalit]

3. I'd ban those things for

being made of mint! I'm deathly allergic to mint so I try not to socialize during mint enhanced festivities.

[Blue_true]

47. That is amazing. Never heard of a person that is allergic to mint.

But everything is possible. I know some people that have water allergies, strange, but true,certain conditions in the air (musts, rain) can really ruin their day. I am not allergic to anything that I have ever come in contact with or have been around, except maybe republicans, but that is a horse of a different color.

[Roland99]

5. Uhhhhh

[mr_lebowski]

6. It's a WAR, I tell's ya!

(actually i'd be totally unsurprised to discover Sinclair is, in reality, quite religious)

[Raine]

90. it is a war, a war on fun

no one is supposed to have fun of any kind anymore..

[Mariana]

106. No, she hasn't prohibited fun.

The fact that she singled out Christmas only, along with her sarcastic comments about people feeling stressed over the very mention of Christmas, lead me and a few others to think she's a fundie who really believes in The War on Christmas™ and did this to stir the pot. She must have been shocked to be suspended from her job, I'm sure she expected the school board to back her up.

Here's a link to the actual memo. It is enlightening.

https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/omaha.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/1/c1/1c179b6f-9909-5281-9ad5-50e58c821956/5c097f95f2e6b.pdf.pdf

[dalton99a]

7. Maybe it stands for Jennifer

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

8. OK, that's just crazy.

I get that public schools aren't supposed to promote religious holidays, but no candy canes because they are symbols of Jesus? They are hook-shaped so you can hang them on things, FFS. Sometimes people really go overboard...

[tblue37]

45. And because they are *canes*. I use canes. All of mine are shaped the same way.

Besides, a capital "J" has a crossbar on top, and "Jesus" starts with a capital "J" because it is a proper name.

[Danmel]

95. Only if you are using a serif font.

But this is seriously stupid.

[oberliner]

92. In Indiana, a candy maker wanted to make a candy that could be a reminder of Jesus Christ

In Indiana, a candy maker wanted to make a candy that could be a reminder of Jesus Christ, so he made the Christmas candy cane. He started off with a stick of pure white hard candy. The white color symbolized the virgin birth and the sinless nature of Jesus, and the hard candy symbolized the solid rock which was the foundation of the church, and firmness of the promises of God.

The candy maker made the candy in the form of a J, which represented the name of Jesus and the staff of the Good Shepherds. He then stained it with three stripes which showed the scourging Jesus received, and symbolized the blood shed by Christ on the cross. When you break the cane, it reminds us that Jesus' body was broken for us.

https://www.spanglercandy.com/our-brands/candy-canes/legends

Note: Snopes says this is a BS myth.

[Mariana]

111. Principal Sinclair apparently believes it is true.

I wonder if she heard about it in church.

[Docreed2003]

9. For anyone who's curious

At least one candy maker does market candy canes as being representative of "jesus":

https://www.spanglercandy.com/our-brands/candy-canes/legends

[Maeve]

21. "legends" i.e., stuff we made up

Also known as "fake-lore"
https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/raising-cane/

Claims made about the candy’s Christian symbolism have become increasingly widespread as religious leaders have assured their congregations that these mythologies are factual, the press have published these claims as authoritative answers to readers’ inquiries about the confection’s meaning, and several lavishly illustrated books purport to tell the “true story” of the candy cane’s origins. This is charming folklore, but one should not lose sight of the fact that such stories of the candy cane’s origins are, like Santa Claus, myths and not “true stories.”

[Docreed2003]

22. Oh I get it

I'm just saying, regardless of how outrageous the claims and legends, this company is claiming that ridiculous crap.

[Maeve]

28. Understood--any rebuke was not aimed at you

And 'truth in advertising" is a quaint concept, anyway!

[Iggo]

26. If I wanted jesus people to buy my cane-shaped candy, I might tell 'em that, too.

[Docreed2003]

33. Lol...I'm sure it pays off for them!

[WeekiWater]

10. He is incorrect about it being a J standing for Jesus.

He is somewhat correct in the fact the transition from a straight peppermint stick to the Shepherd hook with stripes was originally for religious reasons. We are so far past that point, and so few know about it, that it is insignificant. What an ass.

[LakeSuperiorView]

11. Well, he should ban all canes on school property then.

Can't have those dangerous people that may, or may not, be spreading messages with the unsteadyness of gait that they may, or may not have. Can't take the risk, drill the kids on kicking the canes out of their hands as they reach the school grounds.

[dameatball]

12. I always thought they were supposed to represent shepherd's staffs, which in a way

could remind one of Jesus I suppose. But the entire thing is pretty silly.

[grantcart]

73. I am sure that they were made that way so that they could hang from a tree as a decoration

[DFW]

13. Would he relent if he were told that the J stood for John Lennon?

Or Johnny Carson? Or even Johan Kasimir of Poland?

One can take these things a bit too far, methinks.

[Mariana]

14. LOL, I was told that in Sunday School about candy canes. nt.

[crazycatlady]

15. If anything

They should be banned because they can easily be made into a weapon. The point is sharp after sucking on one for awhile.

[ProudLib72]

38. I thought of the same thing

Unfortunately, I'm the one who usually ends up being poked...in the eye...due to my lack of dexterity when trying to reinsert the candy cane into my mouth.

[Bucky]

16. Wasn't the word "cane" a hint about the meaning of its shape?

Damn, religion makes people stupid, even in the other direction

[underpants]

44. Thing I did with my daughter some years ago

We "planted" candy cane "seeds" - the little candy cane balls - just after Thanksgiving.
On Christmas Day out the window she saw the little ones sprouting out of the ground. I had bought 3 more progressively larger sizes and ran outside sticking them in the ground throughout the day.

[Bettie]

17. Evangelicals are really strident about that in recent years

We hear it every year at the husband's family Christmas.

But the rule is still stupid.

[TheBlackAdder]

48. Some asshole sits down and makes up crap that people follow, much like biblical inerrancy.

.

Since they don't 4-chan about QAnon, they spread their crap the old-fashioned way.

.

[GulfCoast66]

82. Tell them they stand for Judus.

[Caliman73]

18. I suppose it was a judgment call, a poor one, but ...

Christmas "birth of Christ" has inherent religious meaning. To many, it is a Christian religious holiday. However, most of the traditions, especially Santa Claus, trees, ornaments, etc... have been made secular. Hell, the Tree was a pagan thing adapted into Christianity to allow people to continue with their own traditions while nominally "following Christianity".

This could have been solved easily by being inclusive rather than exclusive. There are a whole range of celebrations during the "Winter Holiday Season". The principal should have just said, "If you are going to do Christmas, then also do Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, and the Solstice. Make it a cultural learning moment, don't ban things.

[Initech]

19. File this one under "are you fucking kidding me????".

[ismnotwasm]

20. This is my body--we've been eating Jesus.

Or something

[lpbk2713]

23. Any kid named Jay will have to stay home ...

until school resumes in January.

[Iggo]

25. Or Chris.

[lpbk2713]

29. And pobrecito Jesus will be expelled.

[Iggo]

30. Just to be safe.

[Iggo]

24. "...and it never crossed my mind..."

That's because it's shaped like a cane. It's right there in the name.

[Shrike47]

27. She's been holding it wrong. Turn it so the curve is on top, problem solved.

[jcgoldie]

66. Ok so there's a naughty joke in here somewhere...

But I'm leaving it alone since I already had 3 posts removed and I would miss you guys too much!

[Totally Tunsie]

31. ...and all along I thought it was a curvy L

for "Louise". Hmmmph.

[MineralMan]

32. Another Principal Unqualified for Her Job.

Anyone as stupid as that should have nothing to do with educating children.

Further, the postal abbreviation for Nebraska is NE, not NB, which is the abbreviation for New Brunswick - a province in Canada. Mail will be lost. The USPS changed Nebraska from NB to NE in 1969, after Canada reminded them that New Brunswick existed and already had that postal abbreviation. There is no Omaha in NB.

[Mariana]

36. This is so over the top I have to wonder

if she isn't a fundie Fox News addict who did this to demonstrate that The War on Christmas™ is real. Where did the principal learn that story about candy canes? I was told that about candy canes in fundie Sunday School, but most posters here are saying they've never heard of any such thing.

[MineralMan]

39. Could be.

They look like a cane to help someone walk to me, or a shepherd's crook. Now if someone wanted some sort of religious symbolism from candy canes, the shepherd's hook would be better, anyhow. "The Lord is my shepherd," and all that stuff.

[Mariana]

51. But that wouldn't be specific to Jesus and Christmas.

Whoever made up that story didn't want some vague religious reference, he or she wanted to make the candy canes symbolize Jesus.

[AJT]

41. I was thinking the same thing.

[Squinch]

54. I found this pretty right-wing and unbelievable too. I wish we didn't give this kind of thing so

much attention. I often think we are playing right into their hands.

[Mariana]

74. I found a link to the actual memo.

Reading the entire thing, it's even more suspicious than I thought.

https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/omaha.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/1/c1/1c179b6f-9909-5281-9ad5-50e58c821956/5c097f95f2e6b.pdf.pdf

[Bettie]

67. Did they give you the tale of how Christmas trees

started in Florida in the 19th century when a man and his son didn't have enough money to buy gifts so they decorated their trees for Jesus to show their piety or some such thing.

At these gatherings, my husband often has to place his hand on my knee to remind me that it isn't worth it to get into an argument with his sisters.

Meanwhile, at age 5, my middle son asked "who is Jesus and why should we care?". That was not a comfortable conversation especially when she asked "where do you think people came from?" and he said "Monkeys, I mean, look at us and look at them!".

[Nay]

107. That was my first take on it, too. She's deliberately inciting the whole 'war on christmas' shit

because she herself is a fundy.

[Mariana]

108. Have you read the memo?

https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/omaha.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/1/c1/1c179b6f-9909-5281-9ad5-50e58c821956/5c097f95f2e6b.pdf.pdf

[ecstatic]

99. Maybe the article is satire? nt

[MineralMan]

103. No, I don't think so. Not on a CBS news station. They don't do satire.

[WillowTree]

34. This shit is totally out of control.

[Mariana]

37. No, it isn't.

She was suspended for this stupidity and will probably be fired. How is it out of control?

[WillowTree]

77. Because someone out there.......

…….is already thinking up the next aspect of traditional Christmas...….ummm…….traditions to be offended by or at least seriously concerned about. This stuff just goes on and on and on.

[Mariana]

83. Considering that it's a miniscule percentage of the population

that gets offended over stuff like that, I don't know why you think it's "totally out of control". Unless, of course, you think the existence of even those few is just intolerable. Is that what you think?

[sakabatou]

35. *facepalm*

[LeftInTX]

40. Faux News will be talking about this for weeks!

At least this will be a change from the "migrant caravan crisis". (Seriously it's on at the gym and they make it sound like we're being invaded by martians or something. )

[AJT]

42. Someone should check her social media presence to see if she is actually a fundamentalist

trying to stir up "war on Christmas" pot.

[Judi Lynn]

46. Easily could be. They never go away, unfortuately.

She has too much time on her hands.

[Hekate]

60. Definitely a place to start. Banning every vestige of seasonal joy from classrooms? Then peddling...

...RW fundy recently-made-up stories as authentic ancient Christian legend? Then claiming she's only being PC as modern sensibilities require?

That is so freaking over the top as to be unbelievable.

[Mariana]

88. But that's just it, she didn't ban every vestige of seasonal joy.

Her list of banned items and activities were 100% Christmas stuff - just the way fundies imagine The War on Christmas™ works. There are other clues that she's a fundie, too - for example, she apologizes that everyone has been subjected to the stress of hearing or reading Christmas references.

[Mariana]

86. Have you read the actual memo she sent out?

I highly recommend it.

https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/omaha.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/1/c1/1c179b6f-9909-5281-9ad5-50e58c821956/5c097f95f2e6b.pdf.pdf

[AJT]

89. That was very helpful, thanks.

[pwb]

43. Must be something about that Sinclair name?

Like the crazy family that owns all the right wing media t v stations.

[jmowreader]

49. I see where she's coming from, and I support it

Christmas used to be a joyful celebration. Now it's a catalyst for bullying - and the most devout are the worst offenders. If you put up a Santa, they file suit to get a Jesus. If you put up balls and bells, they want crosses, which make no sense at all in a Christmas display - AND they want the balls and bells taken down because they're not Christian enough. Say "Happy Holidays" and you get your ass reamed by a thousand fundies. Lest we forget, Joshua Feuerstein (the fundamentalist who got his followers to give him $35,000 to buy a RED cinema camera to make YouTube videos with, then kept the money without buying the camera) wants everyone to go to Starbucks and give their name as "Merry Christmas" so the baristas will be forced to say it. And YES, the snowflakes believe exactly what Principal Sinclair says about candy canes. (On Thanksgiving my paper ran an article about one of these guys and his over-the-top, neighborhood-destroying commercial-grade Christmas display. He has always passed out candy canes with a note explaining the colors' Christian symbolism, and that if you hold the cane one way it's a shepherd's hook and held the other it's Jesus' initial.) It's totally ridiculous, folks. The fuckin' War on Christmas was over five years ago and Christmas lost.

This fine young principal finally stood up and said, "no more." Since nothing will ever be good enough to please the professionally offended Christian, nothing is exactly the Christmas decor that school should have. Good on her.

BTW...if the candy cane is really in remembrance of Jesus' death and resurrection, why don't we eat them at Easter?

[Crunchy Frog]

81. She's a fundie trying to trigger a backlash against "liberals".

You really support that?

[Mariana]

85. She has a big surprise coming, I think.

I wonder how many death threats she and her family are going to receive from Christians because of this? The story has made national news, so there are likely to be quite a lot of them.

[diva77]

50. I wonder whether he forbids dogwood trees as well.

[Sneederbunk]

52. Easter Eggs are next.

[Squinch]

53. These crazy-ass outlier things that support right wing complaints against the left sure

do get a lot of play here on DU.

I know, I know. It's so we're up on what they're doing.

[Paladin]

55. Oh, great. Something else to set off the War Against Christmas crowd.

And count me among those who never, ever heard the "j shape stands for Jesus" thing about candy canes. If it were true, I'm pretty sure I would have heard of it before now.

[Cartoonist]

56. Related, but not relevant

I heard Art Clokey say it was his subconscious that caused him to use the letters J and G. He was a very spiritual man.

[Deb]

57. Imagine what she must think of peppermint sticks

Idiotic.

[Doreen]

58. What is wrong with people these days?

First a teacher who blabs to her 1st grad students that there is no Santa and now some one who says candy canes are the letter J for Jesus? What happens when a little boy comes to school who's name is Jesus or a girl named Mary, or a girl named Magdalen? Common sense just about does not exist anymore.

[Generic Other]

63. And Florida Man -- don't forget him!

http://www.nbc-2.com/story/39581962/man-ruins-festival-of-lights-tells-kids-santa-isnt-real

[Doreen]

65. My eyes are just rolling.

[Mariana]

84. This principal has been suspended and will probably be fired.

Isn't that the correct response to this kind of behavior? By the way, I was told that bullshit about candy canes in the 1970's. It's not like she made it up, that story has gone around for a long time.

Do you really think stupid people never existed before "these days"? Read some old newspapers. You'll find this very same level of stupidity was going on a hundred years ago.

[Hekate]

59. Just goes to show that insanity is catching

[quickesst]

61. it's not crazy

It's stupid.

[Generic Other]

62. So what else can be banned before Christmas?

Surely, there must be some overtly religious significance to fruitcake that we can get offended by and ban?

[Polybius]

75. Please ban that one!

I don't know what my grandmother saw in that every year! Yuck!

[Generic Other]

79. I Think I have figured out its religious significance

It celebrates the Massacre of the Innocents.

[regnaD kciN]

64. Ahem! The candy cane is shaped like a bishop's staff...

...in honor of St. Nicholas, who was Bishop of Myra (in modern-day Turkey). Yep, for those not up on church history, "Santa Claus" was actually Turkish!

[OnDoutside]

68. If you dipped them in water, would it be a case of Jesus wept ?

[Crunchy Frog]

69. Sounds like a false flag operation, to rile up the RW. n/t

Last edited Sun Dec 9, 2018, 03:42 AM - Edit history (1)

[Mariana]

72. That's what I think. Check out the actual memo.

https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/omaha.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/1/c1/1c179b6f-9909-5281-9ad5-50e58c821956/5c097f95f2e6b.pdf.pdf

She makes claims about her previous employers. I hope someone is looking into those claims.

[Stinky The Clown]

70. Tales Of The Religiously Insane

[Mariana]

71. Here's a link to the actual memo sent by Principal Sinclair.

Seriously, it reads exactly like a fundie's fantasy of The War on Christmas™ they imagine is going on in the public schools.

https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/omaha.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/1/c1/1c179b6f-9909-5281-9ad5-50e58c821956/5c097f95f2e6b.pdf.pdf

[Crunchy Frog]

80. Banning red and greed colored items. LOL!

Yeah, she's a fundie trying to start something.

[oberliner]

94. It lines up with the general public school guidelines for the most part

Although it definitely goes a bit further.

[YOHABLO]

76. Silly. Teachers need to teach.

[marylandblue]

78. Kids in Corpus Christi rejoice as school closes forever

The Superintendent of Schools in Corpus Christi shocked parents as he announced that the school district was closing down since "Corpus Christi" represents the body of Jesus. "We can't allow children to go to school in a city with such a religious name," said the Superintendent. The San Antonio school district considered a similar move, but ultimately decided to.stay open because St. Anthony was "just a saint."

[Algernon Moncrieff]

87. Dear CBS Miami: NB is New Brunswick, morons. NE is Nebraska

FFS, you are supposed to learn your state abbreviations in like 5th grade.

[oberliner]

93. They still haven't corrected that

[treestar]

98. This could be a form of trolling

Showing how absurdly PC the damned libruls are by making an exaggerated case.

[Mariana]

104. Except it backfired and she's probably going to lose her job.

Oopsie. Also, she and her family are likely to receive death threats from Christians, now that the story has become widely known.

You can read the memo. It's more trollish than the news articles let on:

https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/omaha.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/1/c1/1c179b6f-9909-5281-9ad5-50e58c821956/5c097f95f2e6b.pdf.pdf

[aikoaiko]

100. Also weird, a news agency abbreviated Nebraska with NB instead of NE.

Is this a thing now?

[Pachamama]

101. It also stands for "Jerk"....

....and I am sure many many other things that someone with a dictionary can come up with....

This is such a ridiculous story....I could understand banning candy from school because it sugars up the kids, is a choking hazard, rots the teeth...etc.

But banning it because it looks like the letter J and is symbolic with a holiday and the first letter of the first name of a symbol of a religion?

[milestogo]

105. Ya gotta wonder about religions that make a ritual out of consuming blood.

Even in symbolic fashion.

[Iggo]

112. I'm starting to think these people are doing the teacher's version of faking an injury.

Go crazy in front of the class, then get sidelined.

Candy-J Principal ain't got nothin' on this lady, though...