Places to go and things to see by Gypsy Bev

Posts tagged ‘family’

Christmas Crackers – A Victorian Tradition

“Snap, crackle, pop” might have been popular in Victorian England – and not with a bowl of cereal. During the Victorian era, Christmas Crackers made that sound and were a popular gift item at gatherings. Even Queen Victoria and Prince Albert shared them with their nine children.

This is the cover of Tom Smith’s catalog where he sold many novelties.

Christmas Crackers all began with Tom Smith of London in 1847. He first used a twisted sheet of patterned paper to wrap his sugared almonds. When sales slipped, he began finding new ways to promote his candy and his business. His first idea was to include a romantic note.

Inside the cracker were a variety of gifts depending on who was to be the recipient.

When the note didn’t increase sales, Smith enlarged the size to a paper tube so it could hold something larger inside. Then wrapped it in festive paper fitting for the occasion This new improved cracker was launched for sale under the name “Bangs of Expectation.”

Imagine the excitement of waiting to see what special surprise was hidden inside.

Two people would hold the cracker and snap it, the “snap” being produced by the silver fulminate inside. The paper would “crackle “and out would “pop” a piece of candy, a trinket, fans, jewelry, and a piece of paper with an amusing joke or riddle.

What do you get if you eat Christmas decorations?

Tinselitis!

What do Santa’s little helpers learn at school?

The elf-abet!

His sons carried on the business after Tom died in 1869, never to see the real success of his cracker. His three sons – Thomas, Henry, and Walter – added a tissue paper crown to the cracker. This became a Christmas tradition in England, and when the tube broke apart, the person holding the longest end got to keep all the contents. The paper hats inside took the appearance of crowns, and were then worn at Christmas dinner. You had to wear your crown!

This Norman Rockwell painting of snapping Christmas Crackers was done in 1911.

Crackers were often used as table decorations but also present at Victorian teas with special ones made for the Queen’s family. It was even rumored that Queen Elizabeth enjoyed her Christmas lunch while wearing one of Smith’s crepe-paper crowns. Tom Smith, Ltd. still holds the Royal Warrant as Supplier of Christmas Crackers to the Royal Family.

In 2022, Tom Smith celebrated the 175th anniversary of the invention of Christmas Crackers. Today, they make approximately 17,000,000 Christmas Crackers a year. The Christmas tradition continues!

Maybe you would like to add a little “Snap, crackle, pop” to your Christmas by starting the Christmas cracker tradition with your family. Perhaps you’ll enjoy the little riddle inside as you place the crown on your head.

What’s a parent’s favorite Christmas carol?

Silent Night!

Category:

Christmas, Family Fun, Uncategorized

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90th Birthday Words of Wisdom “Family first and always”

Luella's favorite photo of herself

Luella’s favorite photo of herself

How does it feel to be 90 years old? “I love it!” exclaimed Luella Polcyn of Coshocton, Ohio as she celebrated her 90th birthday with family and friends.  Now ninety candles on a cake could cause quite a flame, so they wisely scheduled the party at Three Rivers Fire House – just in case!

When she blew out the candles at her 80th birthday party, someone asked her what she had wished for. She quickly replied, “I wished everyone of you would be at my 90th birthday celebration.” Now she wants a repeat performance at age 100.

Luella began school at the age of four, walking with her brother Charles along the narrows of Wills Creek to school at Tyner in Guernsey County, Ohio. They walked about a mile each way in all kinds of weather to get their education at this one room school.

The family moved to Colorado when she was ten. Seven people fit in that 1928 Olds – their first car with glass windows – with the trip taking seven days. She graduated from high school at the age of sixteen in Colorado Springs before going to Blair Business College. That was quite the education for a young lady at that time.

Some of Luella's grandchildren look over her 90th birthday cake.

Some of Luella’s grandchildren look over her 90th birthday cake. She still likes sweets!

Her first job at sixteen was a waitress at a restaurant. They were allowed to eat one free meal a day including dessert. Luella has always had a sweet tooth and dessert is sometimes her entire meal these days, but then she just couldn’t resist having ice cream on her pie…two desserts. That time her sweet tooth got her fired, even though it seemed to her that they had plenty of each.

At a carnival in Colorado Springs, she met the man who was to be her husband, Louie Polcyn, and was married in 1942.  Two years later, Louie was off to WWII and stationed in Burma where he was a mule skinner. While he was at war, Luella worked at the Nabisco Cracker Company for 46 cents an hour. Somehow with the $30 Louie sent home from his military pay each month, and her working at Nabisco, Luella saved $1,000, which was used for down payment on a house. They also bought a Model A Ford about that time, and she remembers that the gas prices were 10-12 cents a gallon.

Luella's family made this quilt especially for her birthday.

Luella’s family made this quilt especially for her 90th birthday.

At the age of 50, Luella found a job that would change her life. Her children were raised and she began working at Frontier Airlines. Now she was traveling to places she had previously only dreamed of – Rome, Russia, Mexico, Portugal, Alaska, and many more. She was footloose and fancy free.

Now Luella enjoys relaxing at home so a beautiful autumn leaf quilt was made by members of the family – one square at a time. Luella has made many quilts over the years and all the family has enjoyed a gift quilt for some special occassion – birthday, graduation, wedding, new baby and the list could continue. So today they thought it fitting to reward her wtih a quilt they made especially for her. Each person who assisted wrote their name on one of the leaves. Before the party was finished, everyone in attendance had written their name and good wishes on the back of the quilt. Now on a cold winter’s day, Luella will be surrounded with the love of her family and friends.

This 90 year old lady has seen many changes over her lifetime. Some would automatically expect that all the new technology would be the biggest change, but Luella says that is not so. To her the biggest difference in today’s world is how people treat each other and have lack of consideration for another person’s life. She never thought she would see the crime we have today.

Luella surrounded by her children: Gladys, Randy, Greg, and John.

Luella surrounded by her children: Gladys, Randy, Greg, and John.

Her greatest accomplishlment in life, however, is her loving family. Their love of children shines through with every addition to the family, and there have been plenty of those. Besides her four children, who came to the celebration from Colorado, Hilliard, Ohio, and Coshocton, Luella has 13 grandchildren, 17 great-grandchildren, and 7 great-great-grandchildren.  She tells everyone, “One thing you should never forget – family first and always.”

Category:

Colorado, History, Just for Fun, Ohio, Uncategorized

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