What creative houses and figures will feature in this year’s gingerbread city? Good planning usually leads to great results, and we hope many of you will take on the challenge!

Aftenbladet’s gingerbread city is arguably the coziest town for miles around, surrounded by decorative trees and Christmas lights. Imagine if, together, we could build the largest city we’ve ever hosted at the Norwegian Petroleum Museum! That would be fantastic!

Use your imagination! Whether you’ve baked for the city before or are doing it for the very first time, we truly appreciate every contribution — big or small. It could be a house, or something entirely different. That’s up to you — and that is precisely what makes our city so special every year.

Submission dates
We are ready to receive all the wonderful creations you build for the gingerbread city at the Norwegian Petroleum Museum on Tuesday 24 November,  and Wednesday 25 November, between 3:00 PM and 7:00 PM on both days.

Everyone who contributes a structure will receive a diploma and free admission to the gingerbread town. Furthermore, a jury will select prize winners when the city has opened!

For every structure contributed to the city, Stavanger Aftenblad will donate 250 kroner to a good cause—this year, the donation will once again go to the organization “Gi en jul Stavanger”.

Baking tips
Here are a few tips that might be helpful during your planning: Build sturdily, and preferably use melted sugar or “baking glue” to assemble the pieces. Please avoid using materials that don’t naturally belong in a gingerbread structure — such as hot glue or similar adhesives.

Whatever you create must be movable without falling apart. The structure should also be open at the bottom and not attached to a baseboard.

Make sure the icing is firm and the decorations are properly attached. By the way, did you know that a clever trick is to use a little melted sugar to reinforce the back of the pieces before assembly? We look forward to receiving creative contributions from both young and old!

Opening of the city: 29 November
In keeping with tradition, the official opening of Aftenbladet’s gingerbread city will take place on the afternoon of the first Sunday of Advent — 29 November at 3:00 PM!

So, be sure to set aside some time for planning and baking in the coming weeks. Supplies to get you started are already available in many places. We wish all gingerbread bakers good luck in the weeks ahead.