Depending on your country and culture your cookie traditon might slightly vary from your neighbors down the street. Thanks to my five year old son’s class taking a journey into other culture’s holiday traditons we continued this adventure at home. Every year, just a couple days before Christmas, all the children are brought together to make cookies. My son and I started to wonder what types of cookies are made in other countries across the globe (also part of his current curriculum…the globe)! We discovered in Sweden it’s the Papparkakor, in Germany it’s Spritz and Lebkuchen, the Norwegians make Krumkake, the Jewish enjoy Hamantaschen and Rugelach and in Africa they make a Benne Wafer.

Now baking cookies for the holidays really began to catch on across Europe around the 1500’s but it would be another 100 years before the concept came to America with the Dutch in the early 1600’s. Step foward another 200+ years and the cookie world in America exploded with new designs thanks to changes in importation laws and inexspensive cookie cutters from Germany! I have to wonder what shapes and designs were cut by HAND prior to the cookie cutter!!

One thing is for sure the holiday cookie tradition has brought pople together for centuries and continues today. Families and friends gather for hours to bake, package and deliver holiday treats made with love! I enjoy every year the unexpected ring at the door bell and opening my front door to the faces of a smiling family out delivering holiday treats. I love seeing and tasting what someone elses family tradition or cultural background has brought to my Yule Season.

We’ll be sharing with you some of our favorite holiday cookie recipes over the next two weeks. We would like you to share with us your families holiday traditions and include a photo. We’ll pick our favorite on January 1st and you’ll receive a free portrait session.

Thank you for sharing and Happy Holidays.