Christmas Day lunch in my family is not complete without bon bons. These always bring laughter and joy to everyone sitting at the table. It is also a great icebreaker, and they can help start the conversation rolling. Bon bons are also called crackers because when a person holds one end and another person holds the other, they pull it simultaneously, and it goes CRACK!
Thomas Smith first invented bonbons in 1846. He was a London confectionary maker, and the purpose behind his creation was to sell his chocolates. Smith’s idea came from the French bon bons twisted with colored paper.
However, Smith added a unique feature and inserted a love message and a sliver of paper with the chemicals that create the cracking sound when opened. They were popular, and the tradition continued over the years, with bon bons becoming more popular, especially those with a small gift inserted inside.
Today, when you buy bon bons from the shops, they usually contain a paper-colored party hat in the shape of a crown, the same shape a king would wear. A trinket and a small piece of paper with jokes or a riddle are added. There are always at least one or two jokes written that make us all smile and say, that’s a good one!
The crown party hat tradition dates back to the Middle Ages in Britain. This was a way to celebrate Christmas, giving respect to the three kings who traveled to bring gifts to baby Jesus. The crown hat was also worn to show who had the credentials or held the right to celebrate the birth of Jesus.
The festive crown hats are mostly made from paper with designs with holly, ivy, stars, and bells added to them, and over the years, the hats have become a hit. They were also worn for other seasonal holiday festivals.
Making your own Christmas bon bons
For fun this year, I decided to make my own Christmas bon bons, which are easy to make. You might already have most of the items you need to make bon bons at home. If not, many supermarkets or craft shops can help you source these things:
- Use thin cardboard, or you can use a toilet paper roll
- Clear sticky tape and scissors
- Christmas wrapping paper or some bright, pretty paper
- The ribbon that matches the wrapping paper
- A trinket, you could make this, or you might find a small novice piece at home or a craft shop
- Colored tissue paper or other soft types that will wrap around your head to make the party hat crown
- These cracker strips are optional and unnecessary, but if you want to hear the cracker go off, you can buy them in a bag or a bonbon-making kit at most big craft shops
- A small chocolate or lollypop
- A small piece of paper to write a joke or a positive message
I love colored paper with all types of patterns, and I usually have a stash hidden in a cupboard, which I can use again for craft ideas or wrapping gifts. Tissue paper comes to me covered in flowers or keeps a fragile gift safely wrapped. I have used some floristry tissue paper with many beautiful patterns and some soft, thin pink paper that is flexible.
First, I measured my head with some paper that I would use to make a hat to see if the paper I had was the correct length. I want the hat to fit and sit just above my ears. Taking the hat off while holding where the paper joined, I made a mark and cut the height of the paper crown I wished to have.
I stuck the joint together on both sides using clear tape to make it a strong hat. I then folded the hat down flat, and two sides at once cut triangles for the top of the crown. Once finished, try it on and see if it fits well. These hats can be easily adjusted; if the crown is too high, cut some off the bottom.
To make the bonbon, I used two toilet rolls; for the others, I used thin cardboard as the packaging; thin cardboard from a cereal box could also be used. Cut the cardboard the same width as a toilet roll and stick it together with tape.
Crackers can be bought from craft shops, but it is not essential; you can place whatever you think your guests will like into the center of the cardboard roll. First, put the cracker strip through the roll. Any trinkets, chocolates, or fun messages can be wrapped together or put straight into the center of the folded paper crown hat. Gently place it into the cardboard roll with the cracker strip.
Next, cut your Christmas paper or other brightly colored paper to about 30 cm long and 16 cm wide. Test to see if the paper wraps around the cardboard roll properly, make sure the ends are neat and even, and cover the cracker strip. Secure with clear tape. Gently push the paper inward at the ends of the cardboard roll so that you make a neat join. At the two joins, tie some fancy ribbon around them.
When family and guests are seated, ask everyone to pull open their homemade bon bons and watch the smiles and cheer at the dinner table on Christmas Day!
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