FROM THE JOURNAL - COCKTAILS & CURIOSITIES
Chances are you pulled a few crackers yesterday, donned a paper hat that was either too big or too small, politely laughed at the terrible jokes and spent five minutes searching for the tiny novelty toy that disappeared into the ether the moment the cracker went bang!
But where did this wonderfully British tradition come from?
Well, we have a chap called Tom Smith to thank. In the 1840s, while visiting Paris, he discovered the French bon bon – sugared almonds wrapped in pretty twisted paper. Thinking it was a brilliant idea, he brought it back to London and started selling wrapped sweets.
Unfortunately, they didn't prove popular all year round, so Tom looked for ways to make them more appealing. He added little love mottos and verses inside the wrappers, and in 1847 patented his first version of what would eventually become the Christmas cracker.
Never one to stop innovating, Tom spent the next few years refining his invention. In the early 1860s he introduced the now-famous snap, inspired by the crackling sound of a log fire, and later launched novelty cracker ranges with names such as "Bangs of Expectation." They quickly became a festive favourite.
After Tom's death, his three sons took the family business to the next level, adding the paper hats and small gifts we still find inside today. The paper crown is thought to have been inspired by the crowns found on European Epiphany cakes, although some believe it also represents the crowns of the Three Wise Men.
The Tom Smith brand is still producing luxury Christmas crackers today, including those supplied to the Royal Household.
Now, I can't help wondering... do the Royals also get tiny plastic rings and miniature screwdrivers, or do they find something a little more exciting inside theirs?