Gingerbread house at the Captain Cook a 43-year tradition

The thing about traditions is, they have to start somewhere. They begin with one person and eventually grow until they are celebrated by entire groups of wide-ranging and diverse people. Oftentimes, future generations will carry on a tradition without fully understanding its significance to the person who started it all.

Joe Hickel is a long-time pastry chef at the Hotel Captain Cook. In 1978, he unknowingly began an Anchorage Christmas tradition when he built the hotel’s first gingerbread village. At 3x5 feet, it was as big as he could make it and still fit it out the bakery door. As it sat on display in the hotel’s lobby, Joe named it “Marina’s Village” in honor of his then-infant daughter. As the years passed, Joe’s family grew, and with it, so did the gingerbread village.

Today, Joe’s gingerbread village is firmly entrenched as a holiday tradition for many Alaskans. While most view the village as a festive holiday display, few know or realize the deeply personal connection between the display and its creator. Most of the structures in the village tell the story of Joe’s family members and closest friends.

Joe’s wife, Marlene, is represented by “Our Place” on the hill overlooking the village. Joe even adorned one side of the house with a special note to her. He also gave her the nicest real estate in the village… Joe is a romantic, after all.

Across the village is his daughter Tara’s house. Tara’s family loves hockey, so Joe made sure they had an ice rink with plenty of happy figures playing hockey.

Then there’s a lone U.S. Marine collecting toys for Toys-For-Tots. Many visitors comment on how seemingly out-of-place it is in the village, but Joe will tell them it represents his son, Cody, who served in the Marine Corps.Joe’s brothers Bob, Wally, Jack, Ted, and Karl are all represented, as are a number of his closest friends. And it’s not just people either; many of the buildings in the village represent places and organizations that have meaning to Joe. His church and the fire department (where he serves as a chaplain) are just two examples of many in the village.

The fact that Joe’s passion project has become a holiday tradition for so many Alaskans is not lost on him. “The Good Lord gave me a talent and allows me to use it to bring joy to a lot of people,” said Joe. “People love to see it, and I love to make it every year!”

This holiday season, continue the tradition and visit the Captain Cook Hotel to experience the Gingerbread Village. It doesn’t matter if you’ve been doing it for years or if it’s your first time; knowing the story behind this tradition — Joe’s story — will change the way you view it from now on.