However, other shapes, especially seasonal themes (Christmas, Halloween, Easter, etc.

[1] The first documented instance of figure-shaped gingerbread biscuits was at the court of Elizabeth I of England.

[2][3] Most gingerbread men share a roughly humanoid shape, with stubby feet and no fingers.

Other decorations are common; hair, shirt cuffs, and shoes are sometimes applied, but by far the most popular decoration is shirt buttons, which are traditionally represented by gum drops, icing, or raisins.

According to the Guinness Book of Records, the world's largest gingerbread person was made by the staff of the IKEA Furuset store in Oslo, Norway, on 9 November 2009.