Neapolitan Ice Cream
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Mar 18, 2021
1. The first Christmas crackers were known as ‘Bangs of Expectation’
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’d witnessed while working in the music halls.
Launched in the late-1840s and known as ‘Bangs of Expectation’, Tom Smith’s crackers sparked a whole new Christmas custom, later evolving to include jokes, hats, gifts and jewellery. The company still exists today, and supplies crackers for the royal family each Christmas.
2. Victorian Christmas cards were the stuff of nightmares
Christmas cards were invented by Henry Cole in 1843, and by the end of the century everyone was sending them. But the festive illustrations favoured by the Victorians were far more wild and weird than the penguins and snowmen that adorn our cards today.Artists produced such unusual images as: a dead robin, children riding flying bats, a man being attacked by a bear, a mouse riding a lobster, and two small children being harassed by a giant wasp. The cards were treated as works of art, being displayed in exhibitions and even critically reviewed.
3. Beer was once a popular present for young boys
The tradition of Christmas gift-giving seriously took off during the Victorian era. Whereas before presents were the preserve of the privileged, in the 19th century, everyone got in on the act. The most popular gift between Victorian adults was fruit. They also gave each other books, sparking a surge in seasonal publishing from authors keen to increase their sales.For children, the rise of mass production meant that toys as Christmas gifts were now marketed to families of all levels, not just the wealthy. Alarmingly, in the early 19th century, beer was also a popular present for young boys. Gifts would be put in stockings, left under the tree or placed by the fire, but weren’t wrapped in paper until the 1870s and 1880s.
4. Our Christmas tree tradition came from Germany
Christmas trees became incredibly popular during the Victorian era and are often associated with Prince Albert, who enthusiastically embraced the tradition. However, the idea actually first came to Britain from Germany with Queen Charlotte, the wife of King George III, who hung baubles and gifts on a yew tree.One thing the Victorians did give us is the practice of putting a star or an angel on the top of the tree. People in the 19th century also took to decorating their houses with foliage such as holly and ivy. This may have been a reaction to the industrial revolution, which had pushed millions of people away from the countryside and into urban living.