Tasty Traditions
The History of Christmas' Favorite Treat: Gingerbread
by LDS Living Staff

Baked in Europe since the eleventh century, gingerbread is one of the most traditional of holiday foods. Prepared in a variety of ways throughout history, it has almost always been cut into shapes and decorated for special occasions.

Germany has the longest history of flat, shaped gingerbreads, so it is no surprise that the tradition of gingerbread houses originated there. In fact, it originated partially with two famous brothers: when the Grimm brothers gathered their fairy tales, they found one about a boy and girl who found a house made of bread and candy, and the tradition spread.

In some parts of Germany, families still bring together gingerbread models of their houses and reconstruct their entire village in miniature. The children in these villages break the houses apart and eat them as part of a New Year’s Day Celebration. Here are some other traditions involving the holiday treat:

• In the 16th century Queen Elizabeth I presented guests with gingerbread made to look like them.

• In the middle ages, fair ladies presented the rather hard, honey-spice bread as a favor to dashing knights going into tournament battle.

• In architecture, gingerbread refers to highly decorative, elaborate woodwork, usually turned on a lathe and/or fashioned on a jigsaw.

• Throughout pre-Christian Europe, the Winter Solstice was celebrated with the creation and ingestion of small gingerbread cakes adorned with symbols of the sun.

With a history like this, and a wonderfully spicy taste, you can’t help but appreciate gingerbread! So consider trying out a recipe of your own this season. Who knows—maybe it will become part of your tradition!

LDS Living, Nov/Dec 2008; photo by Cinzia Nicolini