Every kid hopes to make the most impressive gingerbread house, one beautifully decorated with icing, gumdrops, and peppermints. Most of the time, though, they give up and just eat it. It is important to make sure they don’t eat too much as one gingerbread house can have over 4,000 calories. 

The popular pastry can be traced back to 11th century Europe, with Germany being the first to make gingerbread houses and Queen Elizabeth I the first gingerbread man. The pastry would eventually make its way to the U.S. through European settlers. 

Following the traditions of many European countries, Americans began to bake gingerbread on Christmas as well. 

With the holidays approaching, we see an assortment of foods, especially more desserts, such as figgy pudding, hot chocolate, and particularly gingerbread cookies. 

“I think it’s all part of the fun,” senior Theodore Hutnan said. “Everyone likes to have dessert.”

Although, when it comes to the topic of Christmas desserts, it is more of a matter of family bonding than nutritional facts. This is especially true for students at AHS because they believe it is important to keep the traditions alive for following generations. 

“I feel like we are bonding more with the little ones and showing them a great Christmas when we make gingerbread,” senior Anthony Assadzadeh said. 

However, eating these desserts may not be so good for your health. Kids tend to include many candies in their gingerbread houses that contain a lot of sugar and fat. 

Although there are some negatives when it comes to eating gingerbread, such, it doesn’t mean that the tradition should be avoided all together.  

Healthy recipes for gingerbread are scattered around the internet and include ingredients like whole-grain flour and organic cane sugar. In some cases, people even use dried fruit to decorate the houses.

For many parents, gingerbread cookies and houses teach a lesson of teamwork and creativity. Using healthier alternatives or eating the desert in moderation can keep the lesson alive.