Discover the History and Tradition of Sainte-Catherine Taffy

What is taffy?

Sainte-Catherine taffy has a reputation for sticking to your teeth, especially when you have braces. It’s a little treat made from a mixture of molasses, corn syrup, brown sugar, water and a little butter. It looks a bit like caramel. It can be recognized by its yellow and red packaging, on which we can see the image of a woman.

You can see a family making it in this video!

Why is it called Sainte-Catherine taffy?

The history of this candy is very old. It was Marguerite Bourgeoys, a French nun and teacher, who introduced Sainte-Catherine taffy to New France in the 1600s. It is said that she used this candy to attract native and French children to her school. Very quickly, the little treat became a school and religious tradition that we enjoy on November 25.

Why November 25?

It is the day associated with a saint called Catherine of Alexandria. At the time of New France, we paid tribute to this woman every year with festivals and shows. People took the opportunity to eat taffy specially prepared for the day. This is why this candy is called Sainte-Catherine taffy.

On November 25, we also celebrated the “old girls”. This is the name given to women aged 25 who did not yet have a husband. This is because Catherine of Alexandria never married in her life. On November 25, the tradition was for unmarried girls to wear hats to show that they did not yet have a husband.

Over time, this religious festival has been somewhat lost, but some still emphasize it. For example, the community of Sayabec, in the lower Saint-Laurent region, still celebrates the custom of Saint Catherine’s Day, as in the era of New France.

Let’s get back to our sheep, or rather… to our sweets…

Sainte-Catherine taffy is not unanimous among children. Some people love finding them in their Halloween bag. Others, on the contrary, hate it! So the time has come to settle this debate!

This text was also published on the As de l’info website.