verifiedCite
While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies.Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions.
Select Citation Style
Feedback
Thank you for your feedback
Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.
Print
verifiedCite
While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies.Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions.
Select Citation Style
Written and fact-checked by
The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
gingerbread, in architecture and design, elaborately detailed embellishment, either lavish or superfluous. Although the term is occasionally applied to highly detailed and decorative styles, it is more often applied specifically to the work of American designers of the late 1860s and ’70s. During the post-Civil War period of affluence, a style that has come to be known as “stick style” was employed in the decoration of both public and private buildings. Every external vertical or oblique surface of these buildings and many an arch were decorated with fanciful hand-carved wooden latticework.
The principal architectural feature of this style, which was loosely derived from the Picturesque period of English architecture of the 1830s, was the veranda. Beach resorts on the Atlantic Ocean, such as Cape May in New Jersey and Oak Bluffs on Martha’s Vineyard, Mass., provide excellent examples of stick work, as do the opera houses and mansions of the mining boomtowns of the Wild West.
Britannica Quiz
Architecture: The Built World
FAQs
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 is the story behind the gingerbread houses? ›
According to certain researchers, the first gingerbread houses were the result of the well-known Grimm's fairy tale "Hansel and Gretel" in which the two children abandoned in the forest found an edible house made of bread with sugar decorations.
What is the gingerbread style of architecture? ›
gingerbread, in architecture and design, elaborately detailed embellishment, either lavish or superfluous. Although the term is occasionally applied to highly detailed and decorative styles, it is more often applied specifically to the work of American designers of the late 1860s and '70s.
How do you get ginger root in Dreamlight Valley? ›
Ginger grows wildly in the Forgotten Lands, which is probably the last biome you'll unlock in this game. To harvest Ginger, go to the Forgotten Lands and pick up the tall and thin leaves poking out of the ground.
Why is gingerbread called gingerbread? ›
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.
How does the gingerbread story end? ›
The tale ends with a fox catching and eating the gingerbread man who cries as he is devoured, "I'm quarter gone... I'm half gone... I'm three-quarters gone...
What is the dark story behind the gingerbread man? ›
Long before it became a holiday treat, gingerbread was a royal favorite, a token of fertility, and a tool for witches to exact their vengeance. The pudgy gingerbread man with his candy eyes and icing smile has a sinister backstory—a link to death and the demonic.
What culture is the gingerbread man from? ›
The first documented instance of figure-shaped gingerbread biscuits was at the court of Elizabeth I of England. She had the gingerbread figures made and presented in the likeness of some of her important guests which brought the human shape of the gingerbread cookies.
Why do Germans make gingerbread houses? ›
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 country is known for gingerbread houses? ›
Historians agree that gingerbread houses originated in Germany. But to really get to the root of the matter, you'll have to go back about 5,000 years to China ,when the ginger root was discovered. According to Food Network, the ginger root was first used for medicinal purposes, and it still is today.
To make the Extra Fizzy Root Beer, head to a cooking station and add in some Vanilla and Sugarcane, then look for the Dried Ginger quest item in your ingredients list. Only by adding this Dried Ginger quest ingredient will you be able to create the Extra Fizzy Root Beer.
How do you build Remy's house in Dreamlight Valley? ›
Under the Furniture menu in Disney Dreamlight Valley, players can find this house under Remy's icon. After placing the house in the spot of their choice, players can use the sign in front to talk to Scrooge to begin the house's construction, which will cost 2,000 Star Coins.
How to get Eric Dreamlight Valley? ›
How to Unlock Eric. Eric won't be available from the start of the game. Instead, you will need to get both Ursula and Ariel to a level 10 friendship. Upon reaching that level of friendship with Ursula, you'll be able to do a quest where she gives Eric back if you find some dark crystals for her.
