Christmas cracker tradition of wearing festive hats is believed to date back to Roman times and the Saturnalia celebrations, which also involved decorative headgear. Christmas crackers are also associated with Knut's parties, held in Sweden at the end of the Christmas season. The "Oxford English Dictionary" records the use of "cracker bonbons" and the pulling of "crackers" from 1847. Tradition tells of how Tom Smith of London invented crackers in 1847. He created the crackers as a development of his bon-bon sweets, which he sold in a twist of paper (the origins of the traditional sweet-wrapper). As sales of bon-bons slumped, Smith
Russian tea cake cake" or "Mexican wedding cake" name. Bizcochitos, superficially similar to pfeffernüsse, are designated the official cookie of the State of New Mexico, are similar except that they have the addition of anise, although, properly made, the anise flavor is very mild. In Spanish, they are known as polvorones or "Polvorones de Novia". Russian tea cake Russian tea cake is a kind of pastry, often eaten around Christmas in the United States. It is a form of jumble, a pastry common in England during the Middle Ages. Similar varieties are known as Mexican wedding cakes (or cookies), Italian wedding cookies, butterballs,