CHRISTMAS BONBONS

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LVI, 23 December 1922, Page 7

CHRISTMAS BONBONS

There are ail kinds of unchangeable traditions attached to Yuletide, and Christinas cracker#, arc one of the most universal. No Christmas party or entertainment is complete without them, and they afford as much delight to adults ns they do to children. •'

Crackers were originally a French notion ,;uid first consisted of a sweetmeat wrapped in paper, with each end screwed, then coloured paper was used, and gradually the idea was developed until the manufacture of crackers is to-day an anormous industry employing thousands of workers in London. Each cracker is made by hand, and a skilled worker can got- through nearly 1000 a. dav 1. The girls are paid on piece work anti earn good wages. Artists design the boxes, a pencil sketch is made, and from that a print in as many as ten colours is taken ; skilful poets write the verses, which are put into each cracker, and these are often witty and topical in the extreme; the toys and others articles which are enclosed hail from all over the world ; the caps, hats, and masks arc made on the premises, as are also the sweets and the outside decorations. And the variety, of crackers is almost unbelievable. From those of giant size measuring six feet (and filled with musical toys Jthey decrease to tiny miniature ones three inenes in length. All tastes are studied. Last Christmas between fifty and sixty neiv kinds of crackers were made, and factories were already engaged in designing novelties for this Christmas.