Gingerbread Houses Bring Christmas Cheer
First and second grade students ended the school week last Friday with a sweet craft. The young students, along with family members, friends and loved ones built gingerbread houses. St Raphael Catholic School held their event in the morning while Springfield Public School held theirs in the afternoon. Both events were a wonderful opportunity for students to play and build fantastic creations with loved ones.
Did you know that Minnesota has a unique connection to gingerbread houses? It really does. Before I get to Minnesota’s connection let’s do a brief history of the tasty homes. It’s believed that the tradition of decorated gingerbread houses began in Germany as early as the 16th century. However, it was in the 19th century that houses became popular. That was when the Brothers Grimm published their fairy tale collection which included Hansel and Gretel. If you recall, that’s where the siblings stumble upon a house made of gingerbread, cake and pastries.
See complete story and photos in this week's issue of the Springfield Advance-Press.