The Dangers Everyone loves decorating for the holidays. It’s a delight to bring out your favorite ornaments and Christmas lights and dress up your house until it’s fit for the North Pole. However, the additional decor and lights can create serious fire hazards. One of the biggest factors of fire risk is the increased use of electricity. During the Christmas season, people use a lot more electricity, especially when it comes to lighting their tree or home. Typically, one string of Christmas lights with 25 incandescent C9 bulbs uses around 175 watts of electricity; that’s an additional $15 to your electricity bill, but it isn’t the only problem. This increased use of electricity means that faulty lights or extension cords can catch a homeowner unaware. The National Fire Protection Association estimates that each year, holiday lights on Christmas trees result in fires worth almost $9 million in property damage. A frayed wire can cause a tree, curtains, or other flammable objects to catch fire within a few seconds. The use of counterfeit extension cords and Christmas lights can also cause immense devastation to people who are unaware they’re using counterfeits. Within the U.S. alone, the National Retail Federation estimates that $6 billion will be spent on Christmas decorations alone, averaging about $65 per person. Through this immense exchange of currency 3 SISTERS We Will Not Turn Away From Those in Need
THE JOY OF A GINGERBREAD HOUSE Everything You Didn’t Know About This Holiday Tradition Of the many seasonal traditions that sweep our nation, few are as creative, delicious, and satisfying as building your very own gingerbread house. Whether you’re looking to create a simple table decoration or bake a tasty treat to nibble on, everyone can enjoy this holiday activity! THE ORIGINS OF GINGERBREAD Ginger was first cultivated in ancient China, then traded into medieval Europe. There, Europeans incorporated it into culinary traditions and used it to bake cookies into elaborate shapes and works of art, including figures of animals and people. The gingerbread house first appeared in the early 19th century in Germany. Although historians don’t know an exact date, it’s speculated that it gained popularity around the same time that “Hansel and Gretel,” the popular fairy tale recorded by the Brothers Grimm, was published. THE LARGEST GINGERBREAD HOUSE In 2013, the world record for the largest gingerbread house in the world was broken. The house, topping out at 21 feet and covering 2,520 square feet, was built by Traditions Golf Club in Bryan, Texas, to raise money for a local Level II trauma center. To construct the house, builders created a recipe that required 1,800 pounds of butter, 2,925 pounds of brown sugar, 7,200 eggs, 7,200 pounds of flour, 1,080 ounces of ground ginger, and a few additional ingredients.
BUILD YOUR OWN! While you don’t have to challenge yourself to beat the Guinness World Record, you can still have fun creating your very own gingerbread village. Starting your gingerbread house from scratch can be a fun activity for the whole family to enjoy. Give the kids a chance to mix the ingredients, roll out the dough, and set out plenty of candies and frostings to use, and remember to have fun! If you’re looking for unique gingerbread house ideas, take a look at 20 gingerbread house ideas at TasteofHome.com/ collection/gingerbread- houses.
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