\n
The first Christmas crackers were known as \u2018Bangs of Expectation\u2019.<\/p>\n
Crackers came about because confectioner Tom Smith needed a way to market French-style sweets wrapped in paper. The story goes that he was inspired to add an explosive element by the sight of a log crackling on the fire. But in reality, it was his brother who came up with the idea, possibly inspired by magic tricks he\u2019d witnessed while working in the music halls.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wenvoe.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/cracker-12-22.jpg?resize=500%2C306\")
<\/p>\n
Launched in the late-1840s, Tom Smith\u2019s crackers sparked a whole new Christmas custom. The company still exists today, and supplies crackers for the royal family each Christmas<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\n
\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
BANGS OF EXPECTATION The first Christmas crackers were known as \u2018Bangs of Expectation\u2019. Crackers came about because confectioner Tom Smith needed a way to market French-style sweets wrapped in paper. The story goes that he was inspired to add an explosive element by the sight of a log crackling on the fire. But in reality, it was his brother who […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false,"jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false}}},"categories":[334,228],"tags":[],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p6cWjO-3hf","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":5427,"url":"http:\/\/wenvoe.org.uk\/?p=5427","url_meta":{"origin":12601,"position":0},"title":"A Week in December by Sebastian Faulks","author":"Alan Williams","date":"6th January 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"\u00a0 As the Page Turners gathered for their final meeting of 2018, they received a warm welcome from their hostess and discussions were started whilst sipping mulled wine or buck's fizz. 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I searched for the tools to hand to my spouse. Instructions were studied and we were inspired, In hopes we could manage \"Some Assembly Required\u201d. The children were quiet (not asleep) in their beds, While\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "General Interest Articles"","block_context":{"text":"General Interest Articles","link":"http:\/\/wenvoe.org.uk\/?cat=334"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":10895,"url":"http:\/\/wenvoe.org.uk\/?p=10895","url_meta":{"origin":12601,"position":4},"title":"Christmas What’s On Covers","author":"Alan Williams","date":"15th December 2021","format":false,"excerpt":". 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