They're the festive party favors containing a paper crown, a trinket, and a joke — and wrapped in a package that goes "bang" when you open it! Christmas Crackers are an invention of the Victorian age. And more specifically, one confectioner named Tom Smith. Smith single handedly created a tradition that has endured for generations. 

Mentioned in This Episode

• Peter Kimpton's Website
• Tom Smith's Christmas Crackers — Book by Peter Kimpton

Music in This Episode

• "The Kishner Method" — Blue Dot Sessions, via Free Music Archive
• "Forget" — Lesfm, via Pixabay
• "God Rest You Merry Gentlemen Christmas Piano Background Music" — Lesfm, via Pixabay
• "Sedative" — Lesfm, via Pixabay
• "Stress Relief Piano" — PianoAmor, via Pixabay
• "Night Jazz" — Music for Videos, via Pixabay

 

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Books

Of Christmases Long, Long Ago: Surprising Traditions from Christmas Past (2025, Lyons Press and Recorded Books) It's Christmas as you've never seen it before, and it makes a great gift for all the Christmas lovers in your life.

Christmas Past: The Fascinating Stories Behind Our Favorite Holiday's Traditions (2022, Lyons Press and Recorded Books)