One of the best parts of the Christmas season has to be the traditions that come along with it. As fun as holiday activities are, part of the appeal and excitement is that you can only really do them during the right time of year. Just like you probably won't see people carving jack-o'-lanterns in May, it'd be a little weird to casually build a gingerbread house in September. Luckily, we've finally reached the prime time of year to live out the holiday cheer on a daily basis. As you prep your gingerbread house and get ready to one-up last year's festive design, make sure to get your inspiration on before you break out the icing, by checking out some photos of crazy gingerbread houses.
Just in case you didn't know (because I sure didn't), extreme gingerbread houses are a thing, and some of them are straight-up masterpieces. We're talking mansions, towns, and even life-sized gingerbread houses. Even if you know without a doubt that your gingerbread house will not be living up to these standards, you have to check them out just for the wow factor. Forget mouthwatering — these seven photos of gingerbread houses will have your jaw dropped all the way to the floor.
Even if I had a serious craving for some gingerbread sweetness, I wouldn't think about touching this masterpiece. It has everything a little gingerbread person could want — festive garlands, a turret, and enough square footage for the whole family to stretch out and chill. I think we all know who's hosting the holiday party this year. The Christmas decorations are truly the icing on top.
This super cozy gingerbread house is too good to be true. I keep looking at it and wondering if parts of the house are actually candy. I mean, just look at those vibrant stockings and the ornaments hanging on the Christmas tree. This gingerbread house from Disney's Grand Californian Hotel & Spa is truly a sight to see.
This is another exquisite creation that's too good to eat. The heavenly icing work would make any amateur baker instantly drool. The gingerbread people and roofing are so intricate that you naturally want to examine every little detail. Somehow, this house is just life-like enough to make me forget it's actually made of gingerbread cookies and not a marketable piece of artwork.
If you can call a gingerbread house extra, this house (well, town) would take the cake. The road leads up to a gorgeous castle for goodness sake, which looks just like Main Street in Disneyland.
I'd definitely volunteer to live in this town throughout the holiday season, that's for sure. I'm particularly fond of the little Christmas wreaths dangling above the town square. It's all in the details, people.
You thought we'd leave Halloween in the dust once we hit November, right? Not quite. This gingerbread house wins for spookiest take on the trend with its little pumpkins lining the sidewalk. (Never mind the corpse bride on the balcony and little faces lurking in the windows.)
Looks like Disney did it again. This elegant gingerbread house is actually larger than life. If you look at the left side of the photo, you'll see just how big it is compared to an actual person. I'm not sure how long or just how many people it took to put it together, but I'm grateful for it.
I bet you didn't expect this Hogwarts-inspired gingerbread castle. The magic is so strong with this design. The likeness to the iconic witchcraft and wizardry school is uncanny, right down to the pointy turrets and enormous doorways. BRB, going to try (and probably fail) to recreate this on my own.
