Gingerbread doesn’t have a spectacular history, (originating in Greece and becoming popular in Germany via Hansel and Gretel) and it’s not my first choice of cookie. But, for some reason, every year at Christmas time our family delights in building a gingerbread house, or more precisely, a village! Why? Is it because there is a certain joy in baking some cookies, gluing them together with icing and coating them with sweets? Yes, but there is more joy because it is a family event -a special time we all do something together.
We all get to cut out our little buildings, construct them with care, choose out our favorite candies, and devour our hard work. Everybody joins in the fun, from our Grandma, Mom, and Dad, to our 1 year old Baby Brad. Each house has a different flare matching the maker’s personality, and a unique little gingerbread person stands in our door ways. The Littles make sure to stick as much colorful candies on the roofs and sides a possible in anticipation of eating, while teens and adults prefer to decorate as artfully as red hots and skittles can manage. My favorite part is the tiny details of the church, making thatches, and icicles, or attempting to melt some stained glass windows.
Do you have any family Christmas traditions? Be sure to tell us! And would you like to add the tradition of little gingerbread houses to your repertoire? It is easy, and here is a link to make it easier for Gingerbread, and then for our glue “Icing“
Rosehaven Homestead 
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