CRACKING CHRISTMAS
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 ever-welcome Christmas crackers”.
It is heartening to think that the humble cracker has retained its place as a festive favourite into 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.
‘The concept was inspired by French confectionery’
In 1847, the forward-thinking London confectioner Tom Smith embarked on a trip to Paris. In the French capital he became familiar with
