Holiday 2018 Issue
A HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS
Gingerbread architecture can be a world of crazy excess. I recall an exhibit years ago that featured a replica of Falling Water, the Frank Lloyd Wright house built o...
Exploring Gingerbread: History and Events
Ginger root was first cultivated in Ancient China around 2000 BC, but the gingerbread man we know today didn’t get its start until the Middle Ages, when Europeans developed their own means of using ginger—in the form of cookies, cakes and other dessert treats.
Those baked goods became a staple throughout Europe, and over time, began to develop shapes. Queen Elizabeth I of England entertained guests with the spiced dessert and asked her bakers to shape the gingerbread into figures that resembled the people in her court; so began the concept of the gingerbread man.
The gingerbread house was popularized by the fairy tale Hansel and Gretel, but the association between gingerbread and the holiday season is not fully understood. Some attribute the connection to religious purposes and suggest the wealthy started the holiday tradition of making gingerbread around Christmas each year. Others believe Europeans thought spices would heat their bodies in the winter, which is how the cookie primarily became associated with colder months.
Today, the friendly gingerbread man is the face of the holiday season, and annual events throughout New Jersey highlight both the gingerbread man and gingerbread house.
Each December, the Gingerbread Wonderland at Frelinghuysen Arboretum in Morristown draws thousands of visitors.
“There are always entries that just blow you away, and you can’t believe that every year people come up with these unique ideas,” says Jenny Gaus-Myers, the arboretum’s assistant director of education and interpretive services. “Some defy the laws of physics— you can’t believe they’re staying together.”
The wonderland displays entries that have been submitted by the public. Guests pay a small entry fee to walk through the display, then vote for their favorite creation. Winners are chosen in six categories.
Over the years, notable entries have included gingerbread versions of the Notre Dame Cathedral, the Flintstones home and the Southeast Lighthouse on Block Island, RI. A gingerbread hot air balloon took hundreds of hours to build. Popular movies often serve as inspiration for the creations too.
Elsewhere in New Jersey, gingerbread is a highlight of the holidays. Contests, displays and exhibits can be found throughout the state. The following is a list of some of those events; many neighborhood bakeries host classes and get-togethers as well.
Young Chefs Academy Gingerbread Workshop
Nov. and Dec., dates and times vary
712 Ginesi Drive, Marlboro
marlboronj.youngchefsacademy.com
Mommy (or Daddy) & Me Gingerbread Workshop
Sun, Nov. 11, noon-2pm
Restored Antiquity, 21 S. Broadway, Pitman
restoredantiquity.com
Frelinghuysen Arboretum’s Gingerbread Wonderland
Fri, Nov. 30 — Sun, Dec. 9, times vary
Frelinghuysen Arboretum, 33 East Hanover Ave., Morris Township
arboretumfriends.org
Hunterdon County Gingerbread Competition
Month of December
Hunterdon County Library, 314 Rt. 12, Flemington
hunterdon-chamber.org
Viking Cooking School Gingerbread Classes
Weekends in Dec., times vary
777 Harrah’s Blvd., Atlantic City
vikingrange.com
Ridgewood Culinary Studio Gingerbread Classes
Sat, Dec. 1, 8, and 15, 9:30-10:30am, and Fri, Dec. 14, 5-6pm
223 Chestnut St., Ridgewood
ridgewoodculinarystudio.com
The Flanders Hotel Gingerbread House Contest
Entries submitted Sat, Dec. 1 — Mon, Dec. 31; judging on January 1
The Flanders Hotel, 719 E 11th St., Ocean City
theflandershotel.com
ASUA Monmouth Chapter Gingerbread Ball
Sat, Dec. 1, 7-11pm
Ocean Place Resort and Spa, 1 Ocean Blvd., Long Branch
ausa.org
Essex County Gingerbread Making Workshop
Sat, Dec. 1, 11am-1pm
Essex County Environmental Center, 621 Eagle
Rock Ave., Roseland
essexcountyparks.org
Long Valley Junior Women’s Club Gingerbread House Contest
Sun, Dec. 2, 3-7:30pm
Zion Lutheran Church, 11 Schooleys Mountain Rd., Long Valley
lvjuniors.org
Miller-Cory House Museum Gingerbread Sunday
Sun, Dec. 2, 1:30-4pm
614 Mountain Ave., Westfield
millercoryhouse.com
Thompson Park Gingerbread House Decorating
Wed, Dec. 5, 4-5:15pm, and Sun, Dec. 9, 2-3:15pm
805 Newman Springs Rd., Lincroft
monmouthcountyparks.com
Adult Gingerbread House Workshop
Fri, Dec. 7, 7-9pm
Liberty Hall Museum, 1003 Morris Ave., Union
kean.edu/libertyhall
Gingerbread Baking and Decorating Classes
Sat, Dec. 8 — Sat, Dec. 22, various times
Sugarsuckle, 600 Newark St., Hoboken
sugarsuckle.com
Gingerbread Holiday Cookie Decorating
Sat, Dec. 8, 11am-1pm
Parker Press Park, 400 Rahway Ave., Woodbridge
twp.woodbridge.nj.us
Gingerbread Macaron Class
Sat, Dec. 8, 11am-1:30pm
Dana’s Bakery HQ
69 Wesley St., Suite 2, South Hackensack
danasbakery.com
Make Your Own Gingerbread House
Sat, Dec. 8, 11am-noon, 1-2pm, 3-4pm
Kitchen 19, 19 South 2nd St., Hammonton
kitchen-19.com
Sussex County Library Gingerbread House Workshop
Sat, Dec. 8, 11am-noon
Sussex County Main Library, 125 Morris Tpk., Newton
sussexcountylibrary.org
Gingerbread House Workshop
Sat, Dec. 15, 10-11:30am
Liberty Hall Museum, 1003 Morris Ave., Union
goelizabethnj.com
Winter Bash and Gingerbread Contest
Sat, Dec. 15, 2-4pm
Burlington County Historical Society, 457 High St., Burlington
burlingtoncountyhistoricalsociety.org
Decorate a Sugarplum Gingerbread House
Fri, Nov. 30, 6-7:30pm
Sugarplum Studio, 211 Berlin Rd., Cherry Hill
sugarplumstudio.com
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