When most people think of the term gingerbread, they probably think of delicious baked goods such as gingerbread men or gingerbread houses. However, this category of baked foodstuffs is actually a pretty broad one.

It describes foods that are flavored with ginger, cloves, nutmeg, and cinnamon, and either sweetened with sugar or with molasses or honey. That means that this category not only covers the aforementioned gingerbread men and houses, but also Austrian Christmas cookies, Gingerbread Cake, and other delicious gingerbread incarnations.

This is a good thing considering that the second Saturday of December is Gingerbread Decorating Day during which people decorate all of their favorite gingerbread baked goods. Now we have some very delicious options for how this day is observed.

The History Of Gingerbread Decorating Day

According to oral tradition, gingerbread was brought to Europe in the 10th century by the Armenian monk Gregory of Nicopolis. He would end up leaving Nicopolis to live in Bondaryoy and stay there for approximately seven years.

During this time, he allegedly taught gingerbread baking to people in the area. All throughout the Middle Ages, gingerbread was a popular treat for fairs and festivals.

Gingerbread would come to North America from European immigrants in the 17th and 18th centuries. Sugar was extremely expensive at this time, so molasses was used as the main ingredient. This produced a gingerbread cake that was softer than traditional recipes made with honey.

The first printed American cookbook, American Cookery by Amelia Simmons (1796) contained seven different gingerbread recipes. Unfortunately, the origins of Gingerbread Decorating Day aren’t as clear as the history of gingerbread. While we might be familiar with gingerbread decorating history, we don’t know who started this holiday or where it began.

Some Delicious Gingerbread Facts

Ready to enjoy some fun gingerbread facts before beginning your next baked goods decorating project? If so, then grab a glass of milk and enjoy the following tasty facts that we’ve gathered together for your viewing pleasure.

• National Gingerbread Day is observed on June 5th and November 21st.
• Swedish tradition requires people to make wishes on gingerbread.
• After the Brothers Grimm published their fairy tale collection in the 19th century, gingerbread would become very popular in Germany.

Observing Gingerbread Decorating Day

Gingerbread Decorating Day is pretty easy to celebrate. All a person has to do is to start on a new gingerbread baking project and then decorate the result. This can be gingerbread cake, men, houses, cookies, or just about any other gingerbread baked good. Gingerbread lovers can also spread the word about this holiday using the hashtag #GingerbreadDecoratingDay on social media.