A popular family tradition that people do around the Christmas holiday is making or creating gingerbread houses. People have been creating gingerbread houses for an exceptionally long time. The tradition began in Germany in the early 1800’s. The tradition became popular after the fairytale, Hansel, and Gretel, was published in the year 1812.  

        Food historians believe that the known recipe for gingerbread dates to 2400 BC in Greece, but other food historians believe that it dates all the way back to 992 AD. Another thing that is believed is that a gingerbread guild in Germany formed in the 15th century to protect the rights of certain bakers. Around that same time, nuns in Sweden were baking gingerbread to ease indigestion.  

         Gingerbread became popular across Europe, with figures that were used as window decorations, or they were even given as gifts on religious holidays or birthdays. But now, in modern times, building or creating gingerbread houses has become a popular Christmas tradition for families across the world.  

https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2018/dec/22/a-brief-history-of-the-gingerbread-house