The Tradition of the Gingerbread Men Garland

As years pass, memories are like precious gifts.  

As we begin this holiday season, I wanted to share a simple memory our children delighted in over the years. 

The Gingerbread Man Christmas Garland is a simple home-made Advent Calendar.

This family tradition of counting the days ‘til Christmas provided joy-filled and memorable activities, written on the inside of each day’s paper cut-out – 25 of which were hung playfully across a narrow red ribbon that extended from the outer edges of our wide kitchen window.

Each morning in December one paper gingerbread man is removed from the ribboned garland and opened.

My children still remember the thrill of bounding down to the kitchen each morning in December and gazing up at the numbered gingerbread men – until being reminded whose turn it was to open the one for that day. I’m not sure when I first started the tradition, but I learned a few lessons along the way which I will share.

The gingerbread men are simply made out of folded brown grocery bags using a gingerbread man cookie cutter.

Using the fold of a brown grocery bag, trace the gingerbread man shape so that the front and back will be connected at the top of the head. 

It is helpful to make sure both sides of the brown paper are blank. Trace and cut out 25 brown paper bag gingerbread men.

On the front of each, number from 1 – 25.

Hang a narrow festive-colored ribbon across triple windows. Next, create a realistic list of 25 special events/activities. (Keeping a reminder is helpful.)

Print each activity on the inside and hang up evenly spaced across the ribbon. 

Activities can be as simple as ‘eat a candy cane.’  It took me one holiday season to realize that it is helpful to coordinate with the busy holiday calendar when choosing activities. 

It’s probably not a good idea for the day’s activity to be ‘make hand-stamped wrapping paper’ or ‘make sugar cookies’ when the afternoon is packed and there’s a Holiday Concert in the evening. 

Some days I kept simple like ‘go for a drive to see Christmas lights’ or ‘watch “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer”.

When all 25 activites are written on the inside, fold each gingerbread man over the ribbon and dab a bit of glue on the bottom to secure each closed. Some years, we were able to repeat events without making changes to the inside. Other years, I would simple cut out a square piece of brown grocery bag, write the new activity, and glue down to the inside on top of the previous activity.

We all had our favorites. Mine was ‘sleep under the Christmas tree’.

I still think of that sweet tradition when we bundled up in our sleeping bags under the illuminated tree...

when magic was more important than comfort.

Blessings this Holiday Season

❤️