What is the origin of Christmas cookies?

Christmas cookies

Did you know that sugar once sold for the equivalent of $100.00 a pound? And that flour was a far more essential kitchen item in households where people literally had to bake bread and biscuits everyday for basic sustenance?

I bring these up because they're important points in the fact that cookies, candies, and cakes are a traditional part of most every Western celebration. In times where we didn't have a mega-mart on every corner, these treats used "rare" and "expensive" ingredients like sugar, or essential ingredients like flour that weren't normally "wasted"; only on the most special occasions did you commit the cost of expensive or essential ingredients to such treats. So it is only natural that a holiday like Christmas would have cookies associated with it.

Why cookies, specifically? That's really unknown. Cookies are just a form of small cake, really, with the conveniece of being handheld and quick to bake. The German traditions that led to Christmas cookies included ''Lebkuchen'' and ''Spritz'' recipes that used less sugar and more spices like cinnimon, cloves, and nutmeg--cheaper and easier to get than sugar was--as well as raisins and other dried fruits.

I suspect it was the same tradition made those spices synonymous with Christmas; at least, I always associate cinnamon and nutmeg with the holidays!

In modern times, cookies are simply fun. For many families, cutting and decorating Christmas cookies is a tradition, as is leaving them out for Santa Claus (either to be nice, or to try and bribe a better gift for naughty children!).

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