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National Gingerbread Day - June 5
Wed, Jun 5, 2024

National Gingerbread Day

National Gingerbread Day celebrates this delicious pastry. Look at how many types there are! Choose any and celebrate this day.

History

This holiday’s origin and date are unknown. One of the main ingredients in gingerbread is, of course, ginger. This spice appeared many years ago in China, and was used for a healing decoction. Later, it was added to food. It must be said that gingerbread initially didn’t contain ginger. These were ordinary cakes made from dough with honey. When ginger became available and widespread in Europe, they added it to pastries, including honey gingerbread. This pastry has become traditional in Germany, England, and France.

Since the 17th century, gingerbread was sold a lot. People held gingerbread fairs and even decorated them with gold leaf. But it was quite an expensive dessert, and not everyone could buy it. Later, decorating gingerbread became a real tradition. Masters painted them with creams, creating unusual and beautiful designs. Gingerbread gained real popularity, which has lasted to this day. Ginger was already quite affordable, and people baked these goodies en masse on holidays and just to enjoy delicious pastries. Gingerbread has a sweet, yet spicy, taste that makes it different from others. The aroma will leave few indifferent. So, National Gingerbread Day was created in its honor, and is celebrated by many Americans.

Interesting Facts

Check out some interesting facts about these goodies.

  1. The first mention of a recipe for gingerbread dates back to 2400 BC.
  2. Gingerbread houses became especially popular in Europe in the 19th century, after the famous story of Hansel and Gretel was published.
  3. The world’s largest gingerbread man was baked in 2009 in Norway. It weighed 651 kilograms.
  4. Gingerbread is recommended if a person has problems with digestion.
  5. In England, unmarried girls used to eat ginger ‘husbands’ in order to meet the real ones as soon as possible.

How to take part

Bake or buy gingerbread, treat your friends, colleagues, and relatives. Eat as many cookies as you like. If you bake gingerbread, invite your friends to join you, and arrange a mini tournament for the best gingerbread decoration.

When is National Gingerbread Day celebrated in 2024?

National Gingerbread Day is observed on June 5 each year.

Observations

Weekday Month Day Year
Wednesday June 5 2024
Thursday June 5 2025