Gingerbread houses have been for thousands of years and for many they remain a staple of Christmas holiday tradition.
Some families even turn making them into a competition with rules including that the house must be 100 percent edible and 75 percent gingerbread. The judges can be other family members or friends not competing, or the houses can be posted online for judging. Gingerbread houses are judged on their overall appearance, originality or creativity, how difficult it was to make, and the consistency of a theme.
When competing in a cookie swap, the cookie should be judged on taste and appearance. The cookie shouldn’t be an ordinary cookie, such as chocolate chip. It shouldn’t be gooey and the main ingredient should be flour. If you burn your cookies and don’t have time to make more, you can use bakery cookies, but never store bought cookies. Cookie swaps are usually on a specific day. Nationally, cookie swaps are celebrated on Dec. 23. The best part of the cookie swap is you get to eat cookies and take some home.
Gingerbread has been around thousands of years. Ancient Greeks and Egyptians used gingerbread in religious ceremonies. Gingerbread was brought to Europe in 992 by an Armenian monk. Through the 17th century, gingerbread was used for religious ceremonies. In the late 17th century, gingerbread became associated with Christmas.
Russian bakers prepared gingerbread men and women, usually as replicas of those people attending parties.
Gingerbread houses were introduced about 200 years later, when the Grimm brothers wrote Hansel and Gretel. A new holiday tradition was born. People took the witches’ house and made it into a merry winter wonderland of cottage houses.
The gingerbread Germans made was a harder consistency than more modern gingerbread, and people began using it to make their pretend houses. They could build taller and fancier houses. Gingerbread houses are adorned with gumdrops and other candies, along with confections.
The earliest cookie swap in America was recorded around 1703. The event was held in New Amsterdam, now New York, by the Dutch. The Dutch had brought the custom with them from the old world.
As other immigrants came to the United States, they brought their customs and recipes with them. Some of the first cookies during cookie swaps were ginger molasses, Mexican wedding balls, Swedish overnights, and sour cream cherry shortbread cookies.
Other things to remember if you are hosting a cookie swap are to try to keep track of who is bringing what, ask your guests to bring copies of their recipe for the other guests, and provide plastic trays or bakery boxes for guests to take their cookies home.
Mostly, in the spirit of Christmas, have fun when gathering with your family and friends and be thankful for everything the holiday has to offer.
Sources for this story included history.com, epicureandculture.com, blogsbelievue.edu, grunge.com and content.time.com.
Jackie Wolgamott is a stringer for The Times-Gazette.
Gauge and Wyatt Markwell build a gingerbread house at their grandmother’s house in Leesburg.
https://www.timesgazette.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/33/2021/12/web1_Gingerbread-houses.jpgGauge and Wyatt Markwell build a gingerbread house at their grandmother’s house in Leesburg. Photo by Jackie Wolgamott
By Jackie Wolgamott
For The Times-Gazette
FAQs
In the late 17th century, gingerbread became associated with Christmas. Russian bakers prepared gingerbread men and women, usually as replicas of those people attending parties. Gingerbread houses were introduced about 200 years later, when the Grimm brothers wrote Hansel and Gretel. A new holiday tradition was born.
What is the dark history of gingerbread? ›
Superstitions about gingerbread flourished in the 17th century. Witches supposedly made gingerbread figures, ate them, and thereby caused the death of their enemies. Dutch magistrates went so far as to declare baking or eating molded cookies illegal.
What does gingerbread men have to do with Christmas? ›
The Gingerbread man is one of England's most frequently used Christmas decorations. Its creation is attributed to Queen Elizabeth !, who is thought to have served the gingerbread figurines to visiting dignitaries. Lebkuchen, the German gingerbread, is likely to be the oldest Christmas gingerbread cookie.
How long can you keep a gingerbread house before eating it? ›
You can keep a gingerbread house for years with proper storage. Our houses will stay fresh to eat for up to 12 months depending on how they are displayed and/or stored. Keep in mind that if you are displaying your decorated house, it will gather dust and other air particles.
Why is the gingerbread man Christmas symbol? ›
Well listen and I'll tell you the story of how gingerbread men became synonymous with Christmas. As the legend goes, Queen Elizabeth had these delicious cookies made for foreign diplomats who visited the palace at Christmas time. These specially designed cookies were a symbol of peace and love.
What are the three types of gingerbread? ›
The three distinct types of gingerbread are brown gingerbread, wafer-based gingerbread and honey gingerbread.
- BROWN GINGERBREAD.
- WAFER GINGERBREAD.
- HONEY GINGERBREAD.
Moral Of The Story
The gingerbread man was very confident that he could run fast and escape from everyone. However, he was proved wrong when the sly fox caught him. Secondly, “we should never trust anyone blindly”. The gingerbread man believed the fox offered him and was not at all tempted to eat him.
What are some fun facts about gingerbread? ›
5 Things You Might Not Know About Gingerbread
- Originally gingerbread was made with honey and breadcrumbs. ...
- Queen Elizabeth once served her guests miniature gingerbread versions of themselves. ...
- Children could learn the alphabet using gingerbread letters. ...
- Queen Victoria enjoyed sharing gingerbread with her dog.
Originally, the term gingerbread (from Latin zingiber via Old French gingebras) referred to preserved ginger. It then referred to a confection made with honey and spices. Gingerbread is often used to translate the French term pain d'épices ( lit.
Can dogs eat gingerbread? ›
The answer is no. While you may not immediately see negative affects in your pet's health, gingerbread is high in oil and fats that can slow your pet down. Also, Rover reports that gingerbread can cause pancreatitis in dogs, which sounds like a big ol' NO from us.
Technically, yes, this gingerbread house is edible. But it's made more for decoration then deliciousness. If you're craving gingerbread, make our Gingerbread Cookies, and enjoy them to your heart's delight.
Why are gingerbread houses made at Christmas? ›
Gingerbread houses in Germany originated from bakers interpreting the description of a house from the story Hansel and Gretel. The story is about two siblings who encounter a witch living in a gingerbread, cake, and candy house. Bakers would apply and try to craft their versions of this house.
What is the connection between gingerbread house and Christmas? ›
Gingerbread houses in Germany originated from bakers interpreting the description of a house from the story Hansel and Gretel. The story is about two siblings who encounter a witch living in a gingerbread, cake, and candy house. Bakers would apply and try to craft their versions of this house.
What is gingerbread in German Christmas traditions? ›
Lebkuchen - pronounced LAYB-kue-chn - and sometimes called Pfefferkuchen is a German baked Christmas treat somewhat resembling gingerbread. Soft, moist and nutty German gingerbread was invented by medieval monks in Franconia, Germany in the 13th century.
What does the gingerbread house symbolize? ›
One family tradition that many Americans do during Christmas is build gingerbread houses together, a symbol of family and of home. Although not a religious tradition, it does remind us that being together as a family is God-given and something to be thankful for.
What are some interesting facts about gingerbread? ›
Originally gingerbread was made with honey and breadcrumbs
One of the earliest English recipes for gingerbread, written down in the fifteenth century, didn't actually contain any ginger! Instead bread crumbs or 'gratyd brede' were mixed with boiled honey and formed into a stiff paste with saffron and pepper.
