Why is the Gingerbread House Synonymous with the Holidays?

As the holiday season is now in full swing, there are certain iconic traditions. One of which is the gingerbread house. According to the Medium article, “A brief history of the gingerbread house,” by Antonia Wilson, “the tradition of decorated gingerbread houses began in Germany in the early 1800s, supposedly popularized after the not-so-Christmassy fairytale of Hansel and Gretel was published in 1812.” This popular Grimm’s fairy tale includes the infamous house where the wicked witch lived, which “was built of bread and roofed with cakes, and the window was of transparent sugar.”

Inspired by the tale, German bakers began to make houses made of “lebkuchen,” spiced honey biscuits. From here, ginger was added. While the exact origin of gingerbread is not known, “ginger root was first cultivated in China around 5,000 years ago and thought to have medicinal and magical properties.” Some food historians cite Greece to be the birthplace of gingerbread in 2400 BC. In the end, it was none other than Queen Elizabeth I, who first made gingerbread shaped cookies popular after shaping them in the likeness of famous guests.

While it is important to understand the history of these consumable houses and cookies, what makes this tradition even more special are the gingerbread events and recipes. Read on for a few gingerbread house suggestions to enjoy.

Gingerbread Locations to Visit

There are popular places to visit during the holiday season which feature gingerbread houses. One of the most notable is the historic Omni Grove Park Inn in Asheville, NC. The inn features a National Gingerbread House Competition. According to their website, the inn “display(s) every entry throughout the resort beginning on Tuesday, Nov. 19, 2024 and continuing through Sunday, Jan. 5, 2025.” There are not only stunning gingerbread houses to view, but delicious hot chocolate drinks and treats to enjoy while walking through the famous inn, as well.

For those wanting to enjoy the holiday season at the coast, consider attending the “Crystal Coast Hospice House Gingerbread Festival” in Morehead City, NC. Taking place December 13th-15th at the Crystal Coast Civic Center, the event features gingerbread activities for children and adults, sweet treats from the Gingerbread Café, as well as beautiful gingerbread houses to view. Best of all, this event is the primary fundraiser for SECU Crystal Coast Hospice House, the premier inpatient hospice care facility. This facility provides high quality end-of-life care for patients and families within the five-county service area (Carteret, Craven, Jones, Onslow and Pamlico Counties).

If you want to stay a bit closer to Winston-Salem, consider driving to Wilkesboro, NC for the annual Wilkes Literacy Gingerbread House Festival. According to their website, “the Gingerbread House Festival will be a family event where visitors will have the opportunity to walk through and view the creative gingerbread houses from local contributors.” The event, hosted by 1915 Event Venue, takes place in downtown Wilkesboro from Friday, December 6th through Saturday, December 7th. The 1915 building itself will be transformed into a Christmas gingerbread wonderland.

Gingerbread Recipes to Enjoy

If traveling this season is not possible, one of the most delicious ways to celebrate gingerbread houses is to incorporate the rich flavor of gingerbread spice into holiday beverages and dishes.

First, consider making Gingerbread Hot Chocolate. This recipe, from the Food Network website, is incredibly easy to make. You will need: six cups milk, ¼ cup Dutch-process cocoa powder, ¼ cup sugar, two tablespoons molasses, three tablespoons ground ginger, two tablespoons ground cinnamon, ½ tablespoon freshly grated nutmeg, ¼ teaspoon allspice, seven ounces high-quality milk chocolate chopped, whipped cream and mini marshmallows for serving. After gathering ingredients, combine the milk, cocoa powder, sugar, molasses, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice in a medium saucepan. Next, cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally until the sugar, cocoa powder and spices are dissolved and the milk is steaming (about five minutes). It is important to not let the mixture come to a boil. Whisk in the chopped chocolate a little at a time until smooth. Divide among six to eight mugs, and garnish with whipped cream and mini marshmallows.

Finally, consider making an iconic batch of Gingerbread Cookies with this simple recipe from the Food Network. First you will need: one package of sugar cookie mix, one egg, ½ cup all-purpose flour, ¼ cup melted butter, two tablespoons pumpkin pie spice, ½ tablespoon ground ginger, ¼ cup dark molasses and one teaspoon vanilla extract. After getting the needed ingredients, blend all ingredients together and chill for up to one hour. Next, roll dough out on a floured board about ⅛-inch thick. After, cut desired shapes with cookie cutters and place onto sheet pan. Finally, bake for eight minutes in a preheated oven. Colored icing can be used to add flair to each cookie.

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Elisa Wallace Coppede

A Winston-Salem native, Elisa has been writing for Forsyth Family, Forsyth Woman and Forsyth Woman Engaged! (now known as FW Engaged) for many years. Today, Elisa calls Charlotte home, where she works as a middle school English teacher. She has three degrees – a Bachelor of Arts in Communication Studies & Spanish, as well as a Master of Fine Arts in Professional Writing. When given downtime, Elisa enjoys spending time with her husband, two little ones, and dogs. She also enjoys running, yoga, and of course writing for the Forsyth Magazines! “I love working with such a talented and ambitious team,” said Elisa, when asked about how she enjoys writing for the publications. “I like the flexibility I receive when pitching new story ideas.”

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