According to Pbs.org, gingerbread houses originated in Germany during the 16th century.
Their popularity rose when the Brothers Grimm wrote the story of Hansel and Gretel, in which the main characters stumble upon a house made entirely of treats deep in the forest. It is unclear whether or not gingerbread houses were a result of the popular fairy tale, or vice versa, as according to other food historians, the Grimm brothers were speaking about something that already existed.
After the book was published, German bakers began baking ornamented fairy-tale houses of ’lebkuchen’ (gingerbread). And these became popular during Christmas, a tradition that came to America with Pennsylvanian German immigrants.
Gingerbread houses are fun to make and a chance to use your creative abilities. And it is a project that generally takes a couple of days to accomplish. Check out some tips on how to make a gingerbread house at Recipetips.com.