Christmas A to Z Letter G

December 5, 2025

Welcome Back to Christmas A to Z
G …is for Garland, Glogg and Gingerbread
Garland

Christmas garland history tells us that the early settlers to America brought the custom of Christmas garlands to the country. The garlands are used to decorate the Christmas trees. They are also for other adornment purposes like decorating the room or the house during the Christmas season.

Making Christmas garlands added to the family income after the harvesting season is over before Christmas. Selling the garlands fetched a tidy sum, which was spent in buying clothes or other household articles.

We find from the Christmas garland history, pine, spruce and cedar trees were used in the making of the Christmas garlands. There were other things used that include corn husks, orange and scarlet pods of bittersweet, mosses, and dried fruits.

Glogg

Gløgg (pronounced ‘glurgg’) is a mulled wine that Norwegians drink at Christmas time. It is made with cloves and cinnamon, and served warm with a helping of almonds and raisins.

Traditionally gløgg was made from of red wine. Not letting anything go to waste, in true Norwegian style, they just added spices and honey to make it drinkable again.

As a teenager, we lived next door to a kind family who always had a Christmas party for friends. She would always serve you a glass of Glogg when you entered her home. Of course I was never able to taste this drink, as she added brandy to the mix, but the smell was wonderful. I guess that is why the memory is still with me today. I found a recipe for A Simple Glogg to share with you.

Ingredients:

Aquavit (or brandy or vodka)

Burgundy or pinot noir wine

Port wine

Raisins

White sugar

Cinnamon sticks

Cloves

Cardamom seeds

One orange

One piece of ginger

Blanched almonds

Step 1: Soak 1/2 cup of raisins in one cup of aquavit (a Norwegian spirit made with potatoes); Brandy or vodka can be used instead. Soak for 30 minutes before Step 2.

Step 2: Put a large pot on the stove, over high heat. Add one cup of water and 1/2 cup sugar to the pot, and stir with a wooden spoon until the sugar is completely dissolved.

Step 3: Lower the heat to medium and add your spices - two sticks of cinnamon (each broken in half); four whole cloves; six whole cardamom seeds, crushed by hand; a thinly shaved orange peel; and one small piece of ginger, peeled and cut in half. Stir again with wooden spoon. Do not allow the mix to come to a boil from this point on.

Step 4: Add the aquavit-raisin mixture, two cups of burgundy or pinot noir wine and two cups of port wine.

Step 5: Sweeten and spice to taste.

Step 6: Strain, garnish with raisins and slices of blanched almond — and serve hot off the stove.

Note: The drink can be made a day ahead and kept covered, on the stove, at room temperature. Just reheat before serving.

Gingerbread

In England, gingerbread may refer to a cake, or a type of cookie/biscuit made with ginger. In the biscuit form, it commonly takes the form of a gingerbread man. Gingerbread men were first attributed to Queen Elizabeth I, who allegedly served the figurines to foreign dignitaries. Today, however, they are generally served around Christmas. A gingerbread house is a model house made of gingerbread. The usual material is crisp ginger biscuit made of gingerbread.

When we lived in Indianapolis, we always went to the historical village called “Conner Prairie”. They had an elaborate gingerbread house display every year. It was so much fun to see the creativity behind each house.

Favorite Old-Fashioned Gingerbread

Gingerbread is everyone's holiday favorite. This old-fashioned recipe is so easy to make and probably very similar to the one your great-grandmother used to make. This moist and lightly spiced gingerbread cake can be served with a dusting of powdered sugar, a dollop of whipped cream, or a scoop of vanilla ice cream. If you prefer a gingerbread with more spice, just double or triple the cinnamon, ginger, and cloves.

Yield:

1 (9-inch) cake

Ingredients

½ cup unsalted butter, softened

½ cup white sugar

1 large egg

1 cup molasses (not blackstrap)

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 ½ teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground ginger

½ teaspoon ground cloves

½ teaspoon salt

1 cup hot water

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 9-inch square baking pan.
Beat butter in a large bowl with an electric mixer until creamy.
Add sugar and beat until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Mix in egg, then mix in molasses until smooth.
Sift flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and salt into a large bowl.
Gradually add dry ingredients to the molasses mixture, mixing after each addition until incorporated. Mix in water until smooth.
Pour cake batter into the prepared pan.
Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes. Insert a toothpick in the center of the cake; it should come out clean. If it does, remove cake from the oven; if not, bake 15 to 30 more minutes, checking often for doneness.
Allow gingerbread to cool in the pan before serving.