Christmas Crackers

After donning a brightly coloured paper crown, Caroline Roope reveals the history of one of our favourite festive traditions – the Christmas cracker

Discover the origin of this much-loved festive tradition

When a reporter from the Pall Mall Gazette visited Tom Smith’s cracker factory in December 1889, he described it as “the greatest cracker show on earth” starring “fairies of every nation; Father Christmases fat and lean, Father Christmases short and tall, and all rosy, red of cheek… Chinese lanterns without number, and Christmas decorations of every imaginable and unimaginable kind; and last, but by no means least, a most killing display of the everwelcome Christmas crackers”.

It is heartening to think that the humble cracker has retained its place as a festive favourite into

‘The concept was inspired by French confectionery’

the 21st century. Mass-produced crackers as we know them today – with their silly hats and even sillier jokes – still resemble their late-19th century counterpart, but the original concept was inspired by French confectionery and a little dash of je ne sais quoi.

In 1847, the forward-thinking

London confectioner Tom Smith embarked on a trip to Paris. In the French capital he became familiar with the custom of giving children bonbons – sugared almonds wrapped in twisted paper that contained a romantic sentiment or message. Spotting the potential of bonbons for his own sweet shop, he decided to bring the idea back with him to his business in Goswell Road, Clerkenwell. Over time Smith would make a number of refinements to the concept in order to stay ahead of his rivals. By 1849 the bonbon had been replaced by toys and trinkets contained in a larger wrapper.

Although the cracker is now synonymous with Christmas, Smith didn’t originally intend for his creation to be limited to one festivity. In fact, in the late 19th and early 20th century manufacturers produced crackers in line with news trends and current affairs. As a result suffragism, Charlie Chaplin and even the Anglo-Egyptian War of 1882 have all appeared on crackers. According to an