Making gingerbrad houses in the modern time was and still is a tradition in Europe. Germany usually sells decorated cookies before Christmas. Once you make the gingerbread house, people usually use frosting and candy to decorate. Gingerbread houses don't have to be in house form, they could be anything else out of made out of gingerbread dough!
In Sweden, gingerbread houses are made December 13th on Saint Lucy's day. The people of Bergen, Norway, always built gingerbread houses before Christmas, the name was called Pepperkakebyen, which in case meant Norwegian for "The gingerbread village." Also, kids under the age of 12 can build a gingerbread house without any cost from their parents. But, in 2009 the Bergen people were both upset and shocked because the gingerbread city was destroyed by vandalism.