Peppermint is Christmas with a little sparkle.
It's cool, sweet, refreshing, and completely different from the warm spices that dominate so much of the season.
And then there's the candy cane.
Put a peppermint stick into just about anything in December and suddenly it looks festive.
Peppermint and Christmas
Peppermint has been used for centuries, but its connection with Christmas grew alongside the popularity of candy canes and holiday sweets.
Today it's hard to imagine December without peppermint.
We find it in candy, cookies, chocolate bark, coffee drinks, hot cocoa, fudge, cakes, and ice cream.
Even the familiar red-and-white color combination has become part of Christmas decorating.
Peppermint in the Kitchen
One of the easiest holiday treats is peppermint hot chocolate.
Make your favorite hot cocoa and stir it with a candy cane. Add whipped cream and crushed peppermint on top if you're feeling fancy.
Peppermint bark is another classic. Chocolate and peppermint are wonderful together, which explains why the combination appears everywhere during the holidays.
Crushed candy canes can also be sprinkled over cookies, brownies, cupcakes, or fudge.
And if a few candy canes mysteriously disappear while you're baking, that's simply part of Christmas.
Decorating With Peppermint
Peppermint has also become a decorating theme.
Bowls of candy canes make inexpensive decorations. Red-and-white ribbons create the same cheerful look, and peppermint-inspired ornaments can turn a tree into a whimsical candy shop.
It's especially fun in kitchens, cocoa bars, and children's Christmas displays.
A Bright Spot in the Season
What makes peppermint particularly nice is that it breaks up all those heavy winter fragrances.
Cinnamon, cloves, woodsmoke, and evergreen are cozy and deep.
Peppermint feels bright.
It wakes everything up.
Maybe that's why it works so well with Christmas. The season can be rich, busy, sentimental, and sometimes exhausting.
Then along comes peppermint—fresh, cheerful, and uncomplicated.
Sometimes all you need is a candy cane and a cup of cocoa.
Here are some more delightfully sweet treats for the holidays:
Classic Christmas Holiday Gift Card or Money Holders
Handmade Lampwork Glass Beads, Light Red
Jeweled Red Glass Egg Ornament with Pearls
Wire Kippah in Burgundy Pearl & Crystal
Cardinals in Snow Art Card
Christmas Holidays Lampwork Earrings
Hammered Heart Earrings With Red Crystals
Red Statement Repurposed Vintage Jewelry Necklace
Embossed Red Metal Flower Light Weight Necklace
Personalized Garden Flag
Here are some more places to shop:
Countdown to Christmas 2026 Week 1
Countdown to Christmas 2026 Week 2
Countdown to Christmas 2026 Week 3
And here
Scents of Christmas - Cinnamon
Scents of Christmas - Fresh Pine
When you shop handmade, you help us keep our money in our communities and keep other small businesses moving forward. Thank you for your support! Please share this post with everyone on the internet. :)
Julie and the Hairy Harry Dog.
thanks for the promotion Julie and Catherine. I have pinned and tweeted all these items. Put the blog URL on pinterest and X on my personal page on FB as it does allow posting on my business page.
thanks for the promotion Julie and Catherine. I have pinned and tweeted all these items. Put the blog URL on pinterest and X on my personal page on FB as it does allow posting on my business page.
Thank you for including my hammered heart with red crystals, Julie. Sharing all very soon. Peppermint candy is SO good!
Thank you, Julie, for including my red statement necklace in your delightful mid week Countdown to Christmas blog post regarding peppermint and its place during the holidays! Happy sales to all. Will share.