Gingerbread competition planned

YOUNGSTOWN

NEXTBestArt is conducting a Gingerbread House Competition from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Dec. 3 at the Tyler Mahoning Valley History Center, 325 W. Federal St., in conjunction with Tyler’s annual Christmas Marketplace.

Entry is open to individuals or groups from anywhere in the Mahoning Valley. Traditional and creative interpretations are welcome.

Registration is $5. For information, rules and entry forms, e-mail nextbestart@gmail.com. online at www.nextbestart.com or at facebook.com/nextbestart.

The significance of gingerbread as an art form goes back over a thousand years to the ancient Greeks and Egyptians, who frequently incorporated it in religious ceremonies; through the 11th Century when the tradition was brought to Europe by an Armenian monk and used to create intricate images of religious icons.