Deck the Aisles with Red & Green Candies for Christmas!

The holiday season is in the air, the lights are twinkling, and candy shops everywhere are gearing up to deck the halls (and their shelves) with sweet, festive cheer. We can almost taste the stunning array of modern, and old-fashioned Christmas candy that’s in store for us!

This is the perfect time of the year to get your store into the holiday spirit with some amazing red and green candies for Christmas. These sweet treats will dazzle your customers with holiday cheer, and they’ll make your store look like the ultimate holiday destination to people who are passing by!

From old fashioned Christmas candy dishes piled high with candy canes, to gourmet chocolates wrapped in forest-hued shiny foil, these signature colors do more than match Christmas trees and brightly colored presents, they tap into hundreds of years of tradition, symbolism, and yes, even a little bit of clever marketing!

Join us as we discuss some of the history behind Christmas decorations and dazzle in the sweet feast for the eyes as we cover some great ideas for your Christmas candy store displays. But, before we dive into the best red and green candies to stock, let’s take a quick stroll through how those colors became synonymous with the spirit of the Christmas season.

How Did Red and Green Become the “Official” Colors of Christmas?

Long before they were wrapped around candy canes adorning Christmas trees, red and green have long symbolized the winter season. The Celts cherished holly during their winter solstice celebrations, seeing the resilient, evergreen plant as a promise of life's return even in the darkest depths of winter. The vibrant red berries were a pop of color against the snow, a symbol of hope and vitality to come.

These natural symbols were later woven into Christian traditions. The holly's pointed leaves came to represent the crown of thorns, and its red berries the blood of Christ, making it a sacred part of Christmas decorations for centuries. The evergreen tree, of course, symbolized everlasting life through Jesus.

This deep-rooted history is why these colors feel so instinctively "festive" as they are tied to centuries of tradition celebrating light, life, and resilience in the darkest time of the year. (Thanks a lot, daylight savings time!)

Another major factor that contributed to the prevalence of red and green during the holidays can oddly enough, be attributed to Coca-Cola! While jolly ol’ Saint Nick existed in the holiday folklore long before the sugary soda was invented, the image of Santa Claus we all know and love today was actually introduced to us by an advertising and marketing campaign commissioned by Coca-Cola in the early 20th century.

Before this Saint Nicholas was typically illustrated as a skinny old man, adorned in animal furs, or blue, green, or red bishop’s robes. Other times, he was made to look sort of like a spooky, old elf.

In 1931, looking to boost sales during the cold winter months, the Coca-Cola Company commissioned Haddon Sundblom to paint Santa Claus enjoying an ice-cold Coca-Cola beverage. Once these ads burst onto the pages of popular publications like The Saturday Evening Post, this caricature of Santa with the rosy red cheeks, and giant red coat helped create the image we all see when we think of Santa Claus, even almost 100 years later.

This envisioning of Santa further cemented red as the color of Christmas joy and generosity, perfectly pairing with the green of the tree, mistletoe, and Christmas wreaths made of holly, or pine. Understanding this history isn't just a fun fact to impress your friends, you can turn it into marketing gold! It tells you that you’re working with colors that are already hardwired into your customers’ holiday psyche.

Now, let’s translate that powerful color psychology into a profitable and beautiful festive candy assortment.

The Sweetest Decor: A Tradition of Edible Ornaments

The tradition of using candy to decorate for Christmas is as old as the Christmas tree itself. In the 19th century, Germans decorated their trees with edible treats like gingerbread cookies, gilded nuts, and sugar-pulled ornaments, which are the ancestors of our modern day ribbon candy. These weren't just decorations; they were gifts and treats for young children, making the tree a truly interactive centerpiece of the home.

This tradition evolved into the strings of popcorn and cranberries and, of course, the iconic candy cane hung carefully on a bough. So, when you create a display with candy, you're tapping into a deep-seated, nostalgic tradition that truly makes the holidays sweet!

What Are the Best Red and Green Candies for Holiday Displays?

The best red and green candies for holiday displays are the ones that are fun! Fun to look at, fun to mix and match, and most importantly, fun for your customers to discover. The goal here isn't just to stack products on a shelf; it's to create a festive playground that sparks Christmas nostalgia, all while delighting the senses with color, texture, and flavor. Think beyond the expected and don't be afraid to get creative with everyday items, using some classic holiday color schemes as your guide.

Your most captivating displays will mix iconic shapes like candy canes, old-fashioned ribbon candy, rich gourmet chocolates, vibrant gum drops, and crystal-clear hard candies. These timeless sweets taste festive, they evoke the spirit of Christmas, and they will turn your shelves into a winter wonderland of edible décor!

Candy Canes and Peppermint Candy

Let’s start with the classics that are an absolute must for your red and green candy store displays. Perhaps the most iconic holiday season candies come in the form of candy canes and peppermint candy. Their iconic red-and-white stripes are a non-negotiable part of any old-fashioned Christmas candy selection.

But don't just leave them in a box! Get creative: hang mini canes from ribbons on your display fixtures, use them as colorful borders around other products, or pair them with swirling, multi-colored ribbon candy in a clear glass Christmas candy dish for an eye-catching hit of pure, interactive nostalgia.

Red and green M&M’s

Thanks to the Mars Inc.’s Colorworks lineup of M&M’s you have an infinite supply of red and green hard-shelled chocolates to adorn your store’s bulk bins and shelves. The fun here is in the sheer volume of color!

You could fill giant apothecary jars to create vibrant pillars of red and green, use them to create mosaic-like patterns in shallow trays, or package them in clear bags as the ultimately easy stocking stuffer. They’re the perfect building block for a bold and playful bulk candy display!

A World of Fruity and Fun Candies

Unleash a rainbow of cheerful flavor with a dedicated fruity candy section! This is where you can really let your store's personality shine. Create a spectacular gummy candy wonderland with classic gummy bears in strawberry and lime or holiday-themed gummy trees and Santas.

Jelly Belly jelly beans are a fantastic addition to your fruity lineup with their Very Cherry and Green Apple flavors. And don't forget the timeless appeal of gumdrops and hard candies in strawberry, and watermelon flavors. The translucent glow of these candies in glass jars is irresistible. Mix and match them in a single display that creates a stunning, textural "candy landscape”, encouraging customers to build their own festive holiday themed mixes.

Red and Green Soda Pop

This is a really fun thing you can do by thinking outside the candy box! Displaying some of your customer’s favorite red and green beverages around Christmas time is a fantastic way to create a unique and memorable display that customers didn't even know they needed. Think of iconic glass bottle sodas like Frostie Cherry Limeade, interspersed with Frostie Green Apple Soda that would go perfect with any wintery snowman theme.

You could also pair Rocketfizz’s Toxic Waste Slime Licker Sodas in Strawberry Sour, and Green Apple Sour for a perfect holiday tie-in for sour candy fans. Or, you could go even crazier with the Rocketfizz Hot Habanero Soda, paired with their Hot Jalapeno Pepper Soda for the spicy candy enthusiasts. This kind of unexpected pairing is what makes a store visit an adventure and gives customers a fun story to tell!

From the deep-rooted history of holly and evergreen to the modern-day joy of a colorful festive candy assortment, the power of red and green is undeniable. By embracing traditions while infusing your displays with creativity and fun, you can transform your shop from a simple storefront into the ultimate destination for sweet holiday magic. Remember, the most profitable displays are those that create a sense of wonder and make shopping a fun experience for everyone.

As you assemble your Christmas candy store displays this season, remember that Redstone Foods is here to be your partner in success! As America's favorite candy distributor, we provide the widest selection of the classic and innovative candies you need to make any season both memorable, and profitable.

Sign up for an account, or give us a call today. We wish you all the very best this holiday season!

1-800-444-3520