How to have a CRACK-IN’ Christmas!

A TREE-MENDOUS ORIGIN STORY

We are all familiar with the Christmas Cracker, but where does it originate? Christmas Crackers came into popularity in the 1840s, by a man named Tom Smith, a baker, who had just recently travelled to France to perfect his culinary arts. He idolised a French dish called “Bon Bons”, a circular, often chocolate dish, that remain popular even today (nowadays they are often more of a chewy sweet)!

Both Bonbons and Christmas Crackers are wrapped in paper with treats inside, making it clear which ideas he utilized in his new treat – the Christmas Cracker. With the design all made, he officially patented the design in 1847.

Later down the line, his son would add lots of unique trinkets, like those useless paper hats (Fun Fact: they actually date back to the Roman times, where the Romans used them to celebrate Saturnalia, a popular festival at the time).  His work would see success, and Christmas Crackers would become a staple part of British homes and traditions.