One legend about this holiday treat says that it's shaped like a "J" for "Jesus" & the white stands for his virgin birth
It's as much an ornament as it is a confection, and people munch these treats and 
... evidence of the J-shaped, white-with-a-red-stripe modern candy cane did not... [DOC] [TLE] The History of the Candy Cane - Noel Noel Noel!