NATIONAL GINGERBREAD COOKIE DAY
National Gingerbread Cookie Day on November 21st encourages us to grab the rolling pin and cookie cutters. The baking will warm the home and decorating will inspire us to design tasty cookies while making memories!
National Gingerbread Day takes place on June 5th. A favorite food of an Armenian monk, Gregory of Nicopolis, brought gingerbread to Europe around 992 AD and taught French Christians to bake it. Gingerbread was often used in religious ceremonies and was baked to be sturdy as it was usually molded into images of saints.
Gingerbread cookies also make sturdy walls for sweet houses and the day is just in time for some practice before National Gingerbread House Day on December 12th. Don’t forget to make those tasty gingerbread families that can be decorated by the children in your home.
HOW TO OBSERVE #GingerbreadCookieDay
Invite friends to help you bake and decorate. Get the children involved and continue family traditions. Read the story of the gingerbread man.
Host a gingerbread design contest. While everyone is decorating, be sure to provide plenty of supplies. This is still important even if you’re hosting an online gingerbread design contest. You don’t want your home team to run out of icing or sprinkles just for zoom team B to zoom ahead with an abundance of supplies. One way to keep your gingerbread designs moving is by setting up stations. Start with icing, followed by sprinkles, edible glitter, and decorative piping. Then set up a drying station. Once everyone finishes, assign bragging rights to these categories:
- Most colorful
- Cookie most likely to be mistaken for a Salvador Dali
- Neatest icing and sprinkle usage
- Best use of icing
- Best repair job
- Most original design
Everyone should enjoy a good laugh and savor their hard work with a glass of milk and a tasty cookie! There are many other ways to celebrate the day, too. Share your ideas and join us using #GingerbreadCookieDay to share on social media.
NATIONAL GINGERBREAD COOKIE DAY HISTORY
National Day Calendar® continues researching the origins of this holiday cookie celebration.
Do you need more cookie days to celebrate? We have them right here!
Oatmeal Cookie Day
Peanut Butter Cookie Day
Sugar Cookie Day
Chocolate Chip Cookie Day
Pecan Cookie Day
Oreo Cookie Day
Lacy Oatmeal Cookie Day
Spicy Hermit Cookie Day
Gingerbread FAQ
Q. What are the ingredients in gingerbread?
A. The ingredients that make gingerbread so special include molasses, ginger, cinnamon, allspice, and cloves. Brown sugar adds a little more sweetness and a crispness to the outer crust. Flour and butter combine to make a sturdy final product perfect for building your dream house.
Q. Does gingerbread include baking powder or baking soda?
A. No. Gingerbread does not contain any leaveners like baking soda or baking powder. These ingredients cause the dough to puff up when, making it lighter. Because gingerbread is used to make strong cookies that hold up to decorating, leaveners are avoided.
Q. Without leavener, will the cookies expand?
A. Yes. Even without leavener the cookies will expand a little. So leave some room between your cutouts.
Q. What temperature should I bake my gingerbread cookies?
A. Gingerbread cookies bake at a slightly lower temperature to avoid burning the sugars.