Victorian Christmas Crackers Workshop

Join us at Ross Bay Villa Historic House Museum for a cozy afternoon making your own authentic Victorian Christmas crackers in an 1865 home!

London-based confectioner and baker Tom Smith patented his first cracker device in 1847 and perfected the mechanism in the 1860s. The iconic popping sound was supposedly inspired by the crackling sound of a log on the fire. Originally sold as the Cosaque, it soon became known by the public as the ‘cracker’, and even today no Christmas is complete without it. 

The Roscoe family, at home for their first Christmases at Ross Bay Villa, would certainly have enjoyed this ‘modern’ novelty. Make four crackers of your own and start a new/old family tradition. $50 per person, with all materials and refreshments provided. This workshop takes place from 1-4PM on November 29th, led by textile conservator Kjerstin Mackie and her granddaughter Frida Sugerman. Tickets are limited, so please book your space in advance at https://tinyurl.com/RBVCrackers. All proceeds support the Ross Bay Villa Society, the volunteer society that runs and owns Ross Bay Villa.