The History of Gingerbread at Christmas

Even though it’s slightly grisly, the story of The Gingerbread Man (who runs away from a cow, a horse, and a chicken but gets eaten by a fox) has delighted children at Christmas since 1875, when it was first published in St. Nicholas Magazine. Inspired by the popular Grimms fairy tale, German bakers began to craft small decorated houses from lebkuchen, spiced honey biscuits. The tradition was to bake heart-shaped biscuits and decorate them with romantic messages.

How the gingerbread man shape came about

In the 16th century, Queen Elizabeth I (who reigned from 1533 to 1603) gave gifts of gingerbread men to her guests, suitors and visiting dignitaries. Though she did not invent gingerbread, her new idea to make gingerbread men was the first of its kind. She had gingerbread cut into the shape of gingerbread men and decorated to resemble her guests. Having these gingerbread men, made in her visitors likenesses, wowed them! (Source: Always The Holidays)

These days Gingerbread houses are decorated with much more than gold leaf and royal icing, you can use any candy available to make a spectacular gingerbread house. The bigger the better! The Guinness Book Of World Records, asserts that Texas holds the record for the biggest gingerbread house coming in at 1,110.1 m³

Gingerbread Themed Christmas Decorating Inspiration

This year,  gingerbread isn’t just a tasty treat—it’s also one of the season’s biggest design trends. Like many of this seasons biggest trends, gingerbread décor signals a return to classic motifs and comforting designs. Whatever your desired design, here is some tips for taking on this sugary seasonal style. (Source: BHG.com)

• Small touches can go a long way. Incorporating just a few pieces of gingerbread-themed decorations into your existing holiday décor can give you an instant update.
• Choose one area for #cookiecore. Instead of revamping your whole house with gingerbread, keep the creative confections confined to one area where the theme can shine without overwhelming.
• Use the cookies colours. Classic holiday colors like red and green are perfectly of-the-moment for the traditional holiday feelings they evoke.
• Simple can be effective. Choose colors that coordinate with your current design scheme and pick a few large-scale gingerbread shapes you can place strategically around your home (Source: BHG.com)

Gingerbread ornaments that look good enough to eat!

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