Scented Christmas Crackers One of my favorite ways to ring in the holidays is with Victorian-inspired “crackers” filled with little goodies. This year, I’m making them extra special by adding some natural festive fragrances.
By Anna Krusinski
These party favors were designed to mimic French bon bons and are typically made from cardboard tubes wrapped with colorful paper and fringe. Each cracker is filled with an assortment of sweets or small gifts that are revealed when the parcel is pulled open. Victorian crackers were invented in 1847 by confectioner Tom Smith, but it wasn’t until 1861 that they became wildly popular, when he introduced their characteristic “snap.” As the story goes, Smith was sitting at his crackling fireside when a log popped, sparking a burst of inspiration. He was suddenly struck with the idea to add a snap to his crackers, which he later called “bangs of expectation.”
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Tom Smith & Co. later expanded its catalog to include an impressive array of novelties, such as a giant cracker measuring more than two feet, musical crackers and themed crackers for bachelors, spinsters and married couples. For Victorians, it was quite a treat to get a Christmas cracker, and what fun it must have been to pop one open and reveal the surprises hidden inside. To this day, crackers are relatively easy to find in stores, but you can also have fun making your own, filling them with your favorite sweets and gifts and even infusing them with a holiday fragrance.
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5 THE DAILY STAR e Holiday Guide 2020
