Each year creating a gingerbread house is the perfect way to celebrate both creativity and bring in the new year. Below are some fun facts about the artistic and delicious creations that both you, your family and friends can enjoy!
Whether you are celebrating the holidays or just looking for a fun activity to express your creativity, gingerbread houses are the perfect way to spend your time. So go create a delicious memory today and make your amazing gingerbread house!
It can be a tedious process, but allowing time and pacing yourself makes this project enjoyable and so satisfying. The first step is creating 3D model of the structure. I like using corrugated vinyl board, its durable. lightweight and can be wiped clean when using as a template on the gingerbread dough. Very important to label each piece.
The gingerbread dough is actually a recipe for structural gingerbread. Although it is edible, it is extremely hard and makes it perfect for cutting out details and much easier to handle once baked. A very important tip here is to make certain that all pieces are rolled out to the same exact thickness which is 1/4" thick.
FUN FACTS ABOUT GINGERBREAD HOUSES:
It is said that Gingerbread houses can be traced as far back as Ancient Greece and Egypt.
Gingerbread is said to have been invented by a monk to help cure indigestion.
It is said that Queen Elizabeth I came up with the concept of the gingerbread man after wanting to present them to visiting officials as gifts.
Gingerbread is unique in that it uses honey and molasses as the base sweetener instead of sugar.
In the city of Bergen in Norway, they make an entire city of gingerbread houses annually.
It is tradition that unmarried women in England would often eat gingerbread men for good luck in meeting a husband.
In Sweden, gingerbread was thought to have brought good luck, and people would use them to make wishes. The word “gingerbread’ derives from the Old French word “gingebras”, meaning “preserved ginger”.
While gingerbread houses are widely popular in North America and Europe, it never saw much popularity in the United Kingdoms
The largest gingerbread house in the world is 60 feet by 42 feet and is worth 35 million calories, constructed with 1800 Hershey bars, 1200 feet of twizzlers, 100 pounds of tootsie rolls, 100 whirly pops and thousands of other assorted candies.
A doctor once wrote a prescription for gingerbread for the Swedish King to cure his depression
Wilton has the largest gingerbread house kit manufacturer in the U.S
While the most popular time of year to make gingerbread houses is Christmas, bakers make gingerbread during Halloween and Valentines day.