Gingerbread Traditions: Wait, That’s a Holiday? Dec. 12: “National Gingerbread Day”

For many high school students, gingerbread houses are not the first thing they associate with the holiday season. Santa, Christmas trees and presents fill their minds instead. However, for freshman Lyla Rozen and sophomore Campbell Griffin gingerbread houses hold a special place in their hearts.

In honor of National Gingerbread House Day, Rozen and Griffin answer questions about their gingerbread house traditions.

Tell me about your gingerbread house tradition.

“Mainly my mom goes to Target and she buys one type of every single gingerbread house. We used to go to Mellie’s in Corinth square and get a ton of her gingerbread houses, because she sold gingerbread kits in the wintertime. We would just have these two big white tables that we lay out in my living room and we put a tablecloth down and we just make a ton of gingerbread houses within the week, up to Christmas. Christmas Eve is when we finish, touch-up everything then we can eat it, and it’s so fun.”

What is your favorite part of making them?

“I really love looking on TikTok and getting a really cute design, and making my house super cute. I love making different designs, and how they all go together in a little neighborhood.”

Do you have any favorite designs from past years?

“I made an all pink house and I thought it was really cute. It had a Smarties roof, marshmallows everywhere [and] frosting, it was amazing.”

How does the tradition add to your Christmas season?

“Whenever I think of Christmas [gingerbread houses] are what I think of. It’s a really big part of my holidays and it’s what I look forward to almost as much as Christmas.”

Tell me about your gingerbread house tradition.

“I [make gingerbread houses] with one other family or two, and it’s at my friend’s house. This year would have been our sixth annual time doing it, and we get all the kits, and then we compete a little bit.”

Is there anything else you guys do while you’re making your gingerbread houses?

“We sometimes make hot chocolate really elaborate [lots of toppings]. We listen to Christmas music and just have treats.”

How has making gingerbread houses over the years helped you bond with your friend?

“The other family that I do it with I’ve grown up dancing with her and second cousin, but I’ve grown a lot closer to her through that [along with] her brothers.”