I believe this is the third time I have viewed the gingerbread house contest entries, which were on display in the windows of the Diamond Deli on North Allegheny Street during Bellefonte’s Victorian Christmas celebration, but I was again this year amazed at the imaginations of the contestants.
From the child group, for ages 5 to 7, through seniors (55 and older) group, the bakers and arrangers of these houses have taken their original ideas through to the final placement of the last gumdrop, Necco wafer or swirl of icing, to create something beautiful and sweet. Sweet — meaning charming or endearing, as well as the more obvious meaning of a sugary treat.
Gingerbread houses are a tradition in many countries. It has been recorded that an Armenian monk brought gingerbread to France in 992. Lebkuchen is described as a softer form of gingerbread from Germany. A friend of mine used to arrive each December with her tin of what she called “lebkuchen,” but the cookies were hard — definitely dunkers. Although that friend has passed away, I still miss her cookies flavored with molasses and ginger.
Among the winners of the gingerbread house contest were: Lina and Shia, last names unavailable, and Meredith Albright in the category for ages 8 to 12; Brynn Albright and Caitlyn and Kaylee (last names unavailable) in the category for ages 5 to 7; Stanton Court from CentreCrest in the senior category; and Sierra Rider in the teen category.
These and other entrants made many noteworthy gingerbread creations. All deserve to be seen and appreciated, and will be displayed at the Diamond Deli until Dec. 19.
Crafts, crafts, crafts
There were three separate sites for the Bellefonte Victorian Christmas Arts and Craft Show 2011. There were a myriad of offerings at the Bellefonte YMCA on High Street, the Bellefonte Elementary School on the corner of Allegheny and Linn Streets, and the Bellefonte Middle School on School Street.
It is always fun to see what’s new each year. Although crafters come to Victorian Christmas from all over Pennsylvania, there are out-of-staters as well. I tried to seek out some of the local crafters. I enjoyed seeing the hand-crafted jewelry of Mary Weikel, of Bellefonte, for example ( www.mweikel.etsy.com). A new face among the local crafters was April Praskovich, of April’s Alpha Art. She does customized letter art ( www.facebook.com/AprilsAlphaArt ). “I just started doing these framed letter pictures this summer,” Praskovich said. The art consists of photographs of everyday things arranged to spell out words or names. I collected business cards of several interesting vendors for future gift ideas.
Another successful and memorable Victorian Christmas Celebration has come and gone in Bellefonte. Congratulations and thanks to all who make this possible each year.
Connie Cousins writes a weekly column about community news in Bellefonte and other Nittany Valley communities. If you know of news that should be spotlighted, email her at ccous67@gmail.com.
