National Gingerbread House Day is celebrated on December 12 each year. Building and decorating a gingerbread house, with icing 'snow', candy roofs and gumdrop paths, is a favorite holiday tradition for families, schools and bakers. The day celebrates this sweet craft, from simple kits to towering competition entries.
History of National Gingerbread House Day
Gingerbread has been baked in Europe since the Middle Ages, when spices such as ginger arrived through trade. German cities such as Nuremberg became famous for Lebkuchen, decorated spiced cakes made by skilled guild bakers.
Gingerbread houses became especially popular in Germany in the early 1800s, after the Brothers Grimm published the fairy tale 'Hansel and Gretel' in 1812, featuring a witch's house made of bread and sweets. Bakers began building decorated houses for the Christmas season, and German immigrants brought the tradition to America.
Today, gingerbread house competitions are held across the country. The National Gingerbread House Competition at the Omni Grove Park Inn in Asheville, North Carolina, has run since the early 1990s and draws entries from bakers of all ages. Who created National Gingerbread House Day is not documented.
Why National Gingerbread House Day Matters
Gingerbread houses are a creative, hands-on project that families and friends can enjoy together.
They connect to European baking traditions and classic fairy tales, adding storytelling to the holiday season.
Building a house also teaches patience, planning and a bit of engineering, since walls must be cut, glued with icing and supported while they dry.
How to Celebrate National Gingerbread House Day
- Build a house: use a kit or bake your own gingerbread walls.
- Use royal icing: it hardens like glue to hold walls together.
- Decorate creatively: try pretzels, cereal, candy and coconut 'snow'.
- Host a decorating party: give each guest a mini house.
- Enter a contest: look for local gingerbread competitions.
Celebrating at Work, School and Home
At work, a team gingerbread house contest is a festive, creative challenge. In classrooms, students can build houses from graham crackers and frosting, learning about shapes, measurement and structure, and read 'Hansel and Gretel'. At home, families can bake gingerbread together or assemble a kit, letting children decorate freely. Let walls set for a few hours before adding the roof, and keep small candies away from very young children.
Fun Facts About National Gingerbread House Day
- Gingerbread houses grew popular in Germany after 'Hansel and Gretel' (1812).
- Nuremberg was famous for its Lebkuchen bakers.
- The National Gingerbread House Competition is held in Asheville, North Carolina.
National Gingerbread House Day FAQs
When is National Gingerbread House Day?
National Gingerbread House Day is celebrated on December 12 each year.
Where did gingerbread houses come from?
Gingerbread houses became popular in Germany in the 1800s, inspired partly by 'Hansel and Gretel'.
What holds a gingerbread house together?
Royal icing, made from powdered sugar and egg whites or meringue powder, acts like glue.
Can you eat a gingerbread house?
Yes, if it's made with edible ingredients and kept clean, though it may become hard over time.
How do you keep a gingerbread house from collapsing?
Use thick dough, let the icing set between steps and support walls while drying.
What is the National Gingerbread House Competition?
An annual contest at the Omni Grove Park Inn in Asheville, North Carolina.