Americans unwrap more than a minty treat on Dec. 26, as National Candy Cane Day reveals a deeper story hiding in every red-and-white stripe. The candy once looked nothing like the version we know now, ...

is a Christmas mascot built on a kind of delicious deception. It looks so wholesome — a cheerful red-and-white curl of peppermint, practically jingling with innocence. It hangs from trees, fills ...