It’s almost a shame to call them gingerbread houses really; they are works of art. Just look at the winning Japanese village created by pastry chef Junko Sadahiro. Stunning no? To think she made entire thing out of edible ingredients, including the snow-capped mountains made of sugar. During our fabulous, albeit too short visit to Victoria (which we loved despite the cold rain), the Inn at Laurel Point (Look for Elana's hotel tour post on HGTV.ca soon) was hosting its first annual Gingerbread Showcase with 35 unbelievable, not to mention entirely edible, creations. If you’re in and around Victoria you can check out these beauties in person until January 4th from 10am – 6pm. If you can’t make it there, you’ll just have to ooh and aah over the photos below. You need to upgrade your Flash Player to 9 or greater Related: More holiday blog posts

Each year, while many North Americans are preparing for a day of candy and good fun, many in Mexico are preparing for the national holiday of El Dia de los Muertos (the Day of the Dead) . The holiday, which takes pace over two days, is a blend of pre-colonial Mexican tradition and Roman Catholic ritual; honouring deceased loved ones and Catholic saints. The festivities are broken out over two days; the first, on November 1, is thought to be when the spirits of deceased children and beloved saints return, while the second, on November 2, is thought to be when the spirits of deceased adults return. Enter the food : the festivities of the Day of the Dead center around making returning spirits feel welcome by providing them with their favourite things, including their favourite foods. In San Miguel de Allende, locals prepare pan de muertos (bread of the dead) — a soft sweet round bread that is often seasoned with anise and cinnamon . Two additional rows are crossed on top of the bread, symbolizing cross bones. These loaves are then eaten at the grave sites of loved ones, or left on an ofrenda (altars erected to honour the dead). Another iconic food is the calaveritas de azucar (sugar skulls) . These skulls, which are made from a mixture of sugar, meringue powder and water, are ornately decorated with coloured icing and often feature a piece of coloured tinfoil across the forehead that bears the name of the person the skull is to represent. Like the bread of the dead, the sugar skulls are often left on ofrendas with other offerings. One of the most common culinary offerings of the festival is a mole negro (black mole) with chicken or turkey . Black mole is known for being one of the most difficult moles to make as it consists of six different types of chili peppers. In addition to the chilies and spices, there are also a number of seeds, nuts and other flavours (including chocolate) that are added to create this unique dish. Moles traditionally consist of frying the chilies with onions and other indigents before being placed in a blender. Afterwards, the mixture must be stirred in a pot over low heat for many hours before being served with traditional favourites like tamales, maize , and enchiladas . No festival would be complete without a drink list, and the Day of the Dead is no exception. Among the commonly offered beverages is a hot corn-starch based hot drink known as Atole , The drink is made by toasting cornmeal in a griddle before being boiled in water...