The Brittle History of Gingerbread Cookies
Image by Sophia Tafoya ‘26
As the winter holidays approach, the tradition of gingerbread cookies resurfaces. Baking and decorating this Christmas cookie coated in gumdrops, candy canes, and other candies may sound wholesome enough, but the gingerbread cookie has a darker history than it may seem.
The earliest known references to gingerbread trace back to 1500 B.C.E. when the ancient Egyptians entombed their pharaohs alongside ginger honey cakes. During this time, honey was revered as a gift from the gods, symbolizing immortality and prosperity. Together, they became a fundamental aspect of religious ceremonies. Also using gingerbread for ceremonial purposes were the ancient Greeks, who created one of the first gingerbread recipes.
Though vastly different from the modern form, gingerbread has existed in many forms throughout history. One of its most noticeable transformations occurred in 16th-century England.
The Elizabethan Age catapulted the consumption of gingerbread, allowing the dessert to take the human-like form we know today. Showcasing her monarchical power, Queen Elizabeth I commanded the creation of gingerbread man cookies, decorated to resemble and amuse important visiting figures. Credited with the invention, the queen even had a royal gingerbread-maker in her court whose sole duty was to create gingerbread men. Commoners utilized gingerbread outside the queen’s court as a token of love, with unmarried women eating gingerbread men hoping to attract a husband. However, just as the sensation seized the attention of the masses, its downfall soon followed.
Superstitions that gingerbread figures held satanic powers consumed the masses, many believing that witches devoured gingerbread figures of their enemies. This resulted in the banning of the treat by Dutch magistrates in the 17th century which made the baking or eating of gingerbread illegal. Even after the rampant witch persecution died down, the cookie was buried and forgotten by the public – but only for a time.
In the 19th century, Queen Victoria uncovered and reintroduced English Christmas traditions as well as integrated German traditions. The gingerbread man was brought back to life, becoming more mainstream than ever before. The German creation of the gingerbread house, which originated between the 16th and 18th centuries, gave the gingerbread man a home. The fairytale of Hansel and Gretel, published in 1812, also contributed to the widespread growth of gingerbread houses decorated with candy. In modern times, the gingerbread man and his gingerbread house are alive in the hearts of people all over the world.
