Pretty ugly. Did you know?

 

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Ever since we are in London I've been wondering about these rotating red and white cylinders attached to the front of some shops. So subconsciously I associated them with candies à la White Stripes and sweetshops .

 

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At some point I noticed that they only appear on hairdressing salons. Which confused me.
And today I finally found out the meaning of these magical rotating candies.

Do you know the symbolism behind it? Before you go on reading, make sure you don't eat anything. (However, if you want to regain your appetite, you can have a look at my previous post again.)


So, this candy is actually called a barber poll. And this tradition goes back to the Medieval times when barbers were the only civil people allowed to possess sharp instruments. Therefore, they did not only take care of hairy matters, but also performed surgeries, pulled teeth and practiced bloodletting. Patients used to squeeze the pole between their teeth and it soaked in the blood. Afterwards the pole was wrapped in white bandages used in the operation, and placed outside the shop to air. This is how the pole became associated with barbershops and has been their trademark ever since.

 

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Yummy? Read more about it on Wikipedia or on English-Word Information.