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All About Christmas Crackers

on December 23, 2011 – 9:27 am

One often associates the Christmas cracker with the traditional Victorian Christmas. Nowadays, with the hurry-scurry and bustle of the modern day holiday, it is refreshing to find that the cracker is still with us.  The cracker started life in the guise of a slip of fancy paper, containing a sweet and a love motto, called a “kiss motto.” They were simply bits of twisted and fringed tissue paper, with the “Kiss” inside; as a matter of fact they could hardly have been designated “crackers,” for they did not “crack.” Time rolled on, as time is in the habit of doing, and, by slow degrees, there evolved a highly ornate and superlatively gorgeous arrangement in crimson and gold, and cream and silver; ingeniously constructed to hide within its crinkly paper recesses all sorts of trinkets.

Today, not only has the Christmas cracker kept pace with the times, it is even ahead of them featuring the design of Victorian Christmas crackers stuffed with contemporary extravagant gifts. The London department store, Harrods, provides the opportunity to add their truly stunning Silver Bling Christmas crackers to your Christmas table, with each containing an impressive modern day luxury gift. The crackers contain handmade party hats, a booklet brimming with humor and trivia, a traditional snap and a gift. The gifts include such luxuries as a leather cigar case, sterling silver zircon earrings, Swarovski crystals whistle key ring and USB flash drive, or a fine leather iPod case and card holder. A package of 6 luxury crackers is priced at a “mere” £599.00.

For those of you wanting to make your own crackers, here are instructions for How to Make Christmas Crackers and the story of Victorian Christmas Crackers.

Victorian Christmas

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