Voice of London

It is safe to say you are not a baker if you have not made mistakes. And as part of the challenge to become a good baker, I thought I would film myself making an awesome gingerbread house.

The brothers Grimm once wrote a story about two small children who ran away to the woods and found a gingerbread house. The house was beautifully decorated. A giant gingerbread house made with sweeties and candy canes. The two children were in awe of the house and started to eat the gingerbread… We all know how the story ends. When most of the fairy stories are told to children, they become sucked into a whole different world. It can affect them psychologically for good and bad reasons.

The psychology of fairytales is a fascinating topic. Fairytales are told to introduce children into the real world in a more gentle approach. People have been breaking down fairy stories in their own way for years now:

Hansel and Gretel explains and teaches the love that siblings should have for each other, Hansel teaches problem solving by placing a crumb trail in the woods so they couldn’t get lost on the way home. This is an important part of the story because this symbolises the importance of memory, and the need for the brain to remember something important. It can also influence the way they see people, such as the role of a step-mother. They are seen as horrible and evil because that is what they are in fairytales.

I had a go at creating my own gingerbread (witches excluded).

Well, I not only got the dimensions wrong but I also got the wrong-sized cake board. At least it looked like a fairly pretty open-roof house, and I have added some fancy music to liven up the video. Regardless, I had a lot of fun and I am very tempted to try again… In fact, I will.

Words: Melina Zachariou | Subbing: Asya Gadzheva