Tomte with Gingerbread

About 1000 AD, the monk, Gregory of Nicopolis, moved from the Central Anatolia region of Turkey to the Central Loire Valley of France. He led a hermit's life, living off edible roots and wild honey, in Baudrevilliers near the Saint Martin-le-Seul church.

The Abbaye de Micy explained: "To his meals Gregory invited priests, holy ministers, and even pious lay people... With his own hands he made a cake with honey and spices, just like in his homeland. With a smile on his lips, he offered it to them at the end of the meal... His guests, on tasting the cake, believed they were experiencing all the delights of Heaven."

During the remaining seven years of his life, Gregory taught the local inhabitants to make gingerbread. He became the patron saint of the nearby city of Pithiviers, and his Pain d'Epices became a regional delicacy.

During the 13th century, monks in Germany baked similar confections. By 1444, Swedish nuns at the Vadstena Abbey were baking gingerbread to remedy indigestion.

In Scandinavia, thin, brittle gingerbreads are a popular Christmas season treat; preparation is often a family effort.

Inside of card:

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