Gin·ger·bread n 1. a ginger-flavored cookie, often cut into the stylized shape of a person, animal, or Christmas tree
In The Netherlands, small pieces of gingerbread candy (pepernoten) are thrown by the helpers of Santa Claus to the children every December 6 during the parade in honor of Saint Nicholas. Saint Nicholas is Santa Claus (Sinterklaas) for the Dutch. He is dressed in red robes like a Catholic bishop, rides a white horse, and leaves gifts in shoes (in or by which children place a carrot and a drink for the horse).
I’ve first encountered the word gingerbread in a fairytale book. I have tasted many breads and different kinds of cookies but I’m not sure if I’ve eaten a gingerbread cookie. I remember when I was little my father brought us a bag of colorful hard cookies shaped like animals, houses and paper cut-outs figures of little boys and girls. It could be a nice give-away but our local bakeries don’t sell that stuff anymore.
Looking down at the Gingerbread Village, I tried to find the gingerbread among the colorful display of tiny houses and cute shops. Perhaps the roofs of one of those miniatures are made of gingerbread or the whole structures in the village are all gingerbread except the miniature people depicting everyday life in rural America or Europe. The whole village is covered with artificial snow made of beaten egg whites and confectioner’s sugar to give an idea of what Christmas or winter is like in other countries.
A magical Christmas to all!
