First Lady invites community for gingerbread contest, mansion tree decorating

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — West Virginia First Lady Denise Morrisey is inviting students, educators, and artisans from across the state to help celebrate the holiday season through two creative initiatives hosted at the state culture center.

This year marks the launch of the First Lady’s inaugural Gingerbread House Competition, open to K-12 classrooms and adult participants statewide.

Public, private, and homeschool classrooms may each submit one entry, while adults may enter individually or as a team. Entries will be judged on overall design and appearance, adherence to guidelines, creativity, and craftsmanship.

“This is a wonderful opportunity to spark creativity while celebrating the joy of Christmas,” Morrisey said. “We’re excited to see the talent and imagination from students and adults alike on full display at the culture center this season.”

Winning classrooms will receive a $100 art supply gift certificate, and the top adult entry will earn a $100 West Virginia State Parks gift card. Entries and required forms must be delivered to the culture center in Charleston by 5 p.m. on Friday, November 21.

Winners will be announced on Monday, December 8, and submissions will be displayed in the Great Hall from December 1, 2025, through January 2, 2026.

In addition to the gingerbread competition, the First Lady is also calling on artisans to help mark the Governor’s Mansion’s 100th anniversary by creating handmade ornaments for this year’s Christmas tree.

Ornaments should reflect West Virginia's history and be lightweight, suitable for hanging. Suggested materials include glass bulbs, paper garland, and items reminiscent of 1920s holiday décor.

“This year marks a century of history and beauty for the Governor’s Mansion, and I can’t think of a better way to celebrate this milestone than with custom ornaments that honor our state’s rich history,” Morrisey said.

“I invite local artisans of all ages to submit their creations, and I look forward to seeing all of the unique designs hanging on our beautiful tree.”

Ornaments must be mailed or delivered to the Culture Center by Friday, Nov. 21. The tree will be on public display from Dec. 1, 2025, through Jan. 2, 2026, and prizes will be awarded to the top three designs.

Christmas tradition in West Virginia

In West Virginia, Christmas has historically been marked by the blending of European customs and Appalachian folk culture. Families lit candles in their windows to welcome visitors, selecting evergreens from the surrounding woods for decorations, and crafted ornaments from pinecones, cornhusks, and twigs as reflections of their forested landscape.

The practice of observing “Old Christmas” on January 6 still lingers in rural pockets, rooted in the calendar change of the 18th century and underscored by regional superstitions such as livestock kneeling at midnight and children born on that date being especially blessed.

Baked sweets prepared on Christmas Day were believed to possess protective or healing powers in many Appalachian communities, illustrating how faith, folklore, and frugal resourcefulness combined to define the holiday in the Mountain State.

In West Virginia, Christmas has long been a season of homecoming—a time when those who moved away from the mountains return to familiar back roads, family tables, and small-town traditions.

The holiday carries a powerful sense of place, with generations gathering in ancestral homes, attending church services where their grandparents once sat, and sharing meals made from old family recipes.

Even as economic shifts have drawn many West Virginians to jobs in other states, Christmas remains a touchstone of belonging when the ties of kinship and community feel strongest, and the hills become a backdrop not just for celebration, but for reaffirming identity and roots.

Attending the holiday events

Details and entry forms for both programs are available through the First Lady’s office. For a complete list of rules and to access the entry form for the gingerbread competition, click here. To access the submission form for the holiday tree event, click here.