Does the sight of a lighted candy cane on a snow-covered lawn immediately fill you with happiness and nostalgia? It should come as no surprise that for most people, it does. But why is that?

Christmastime brings much joy to all kinds of people for all kinds of different reasons. For the religious, there’s the birth of Jesus to be celebrated. For the secular-minded, age-old cultural traditions from all over Europe are revived and re-enacted. Kids love Christmas, of course, because Santa comes to make their wishes come true. Best of all, for everybody, the Christmas season is one long feast for the senses. Consider:

1. The Sights of Christmas: Though it’s close to the darkest time of the year, everywhere you look you see the exteriors of homes decorated to the hilt and brightly lit. Inside, poinsettias in flower pots grace tabletops, every corner is festooned with decorations, and miniature Nativity scenes remind everyone what Christmas is originally all about.
2. The Smells of Christmas: Certain pleasant aromas have the power to evoke lovely holiday memories. Who has not experienced a moment of euphoria when catching the piney scent of a natural Christmas tree in the living room or, in the kitchen, the smell of cinnamon, cloves, and cardamom?
3. The Tastes of Christmas: So much about this holiday involves flavor. What goes best with gingerbread—mulled wine or hot chocolate? From sugar cookies to eggnog, there are so many delights to choose from!
4. The Sounds of Christmas: Sleigh bells ringing, a department store Santa’s “Ho-ho-ho,” and holiday songs, new and old, secular and religious, fill the air. If those don’t put you in a joyous mood, nothing will.
5. The Feel of Christmas: How does a person “touch” Christmas? The funny thing is, most of the time it is Christmas that touches us in some way, and it is often a study in contrasts. Imagine the feel of cold winter air and snowflakes on your face—and then, a few minutes later, snuggling in front of a fire in the fireplace.

So What Does All That Have to Do with Lighted Candy Canes?

In certain respects, and in its own unique way, the humble candy cane also stimulates all the senses during the Christmas season. The red-and-white stripes twisting around its length are not just pretty but iconic. The smell and taste of peppermint is its own reward. The candy cane itself doesn’t make a sound, but people do when they eat the treat. Everybody has a different style: some like to savor it slowly, and others like to hear it crunch between their teeth.

It’s also a very tactile treat: the bend at the top makes it easy to hang on the branches of Christmas trees.

Yet some candy canes are not meant to be eaten, but to be looked at and admired. As an outdoor decoration, a candy cane signals that a home fully partakes in the pleasures of the Christmas season. The one drawback is the winter darkness: no one can see an unlit candy cane decoration once the sun goes down.

For that reason, it helps to light up the candy cane decoration with a spotlight or floodlight. Better yet, LED lights built right into the decoration illuminate the candy cane from within. The lights can be red and white, like traditional candy canes; or the candy canes can include green as an extra color.

These candy cane displays can be inserted directly into the ground, or they may rest on a flat surface with the use of a floor stand. Because they are lightweight, a guy wire is included to hold them steady if needed.

Another option is Christmas Night Inc.’s Garland Candy Cane display, roughly 8 feet tall, with adjustable feet and commercial-grade C7 LED bulbs. It is easily mounted into the ground.

Day or night, any of these lighted candy cane displays will bring the festive spirit of Christmas to life in your neighborhood!