The Surprising Reasons Why Gingerbread Men Became a Holiday Classic

Ever wonder why "gingerbread men" are shaped like men in the first place? The answer can be traced back hundreds of years at least.

According to Carole Levin, director of the medieval studies program at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and author of The Reign of Elizabeth I, Queen Elizabeth I's 16th-century reign was known for elaborate royal dinners that included marzipan shaped like fruit, castles and birds. But the Queen's retinue also included a royal gingerbread maker.