Why Do Australians Call Crackers Bonbons?

If you find yourself talking to a Brit or American and the topic of Christmas comes up, you might discover they find our tradition of referring to ‘crackers’ as ‘bonbons’ somewhat surprising! As our regular readers know, we’ve talked about the ‘cracker’ vs ‘bonbon’ vs ‘bon bon’ debate before (e.g., check out this blog) and now we’re jumping back in to defend our Australian naming tradition against claims that it’s ‘puzzling’, ‘quirky’, ‘curious’, and the like! As you’ll see, we’re quite justified to conclude that we get it right (and others, ahem, don’t get it quite so right) when it comes to the bonbon naming stakes!

How the Bonbon Naming Tradition Began

Going back to where it all began for the Christmas cracker, we come across London Confectioner Tom Smith, the inventor of this wonderful staple of holiday festivities. 

During a trip to Paris, Smith was inspired by the ‘bonbon’ sweets (sugar almonds wrapped in tissue paper) and started making his own in 1847. His innovation also included a small motto or riddle inside the wrapper and, eventually, a ‘bang’ created by friction-activated chemicals. 

Smith’s bonbons underwent a few name changes, including the quite bewildering ‘Bangs of Expectation’ and, later, ‘Cosaques’ (presumably after the Cossack soldiers known for firing their guns when riding on horseback). It was the onomatopoeic ‘Christmas cracker’, however, that was to become the most enduring term in the UK. 

Elsewhere, however, the original ‘bonbon’ remained the favourite …

Australian Christmas Traditions

As mentioned above, some people are quite taken aback by our use of the term ‘bonbon’. Take this, for example, from an article about Christmas crackers in the UK Mirror! 

… if you've ever spoken to an Australian person about what their Christmas Day looks like, or if you've ever spent the festive period down under, then you might know that they have a much cuter name for the cardboard tubes that make a bang when you pull them open. If you don't know what we're talking about then strap yourself in because it's seriously adorable - they call them bon bons.

While we might well be “seriously adorable” 😊, our use of the term ‘bonbon’ actually goes way back! It carries historical and cultural significance that reflects Australia’s colonial past and linguistic influences, as well as our festive spirit.

From Crackers to Bonbons: The Journey to Australia

As British settlers made their way to Australia in the 19th century, they brought with them their customs, including Christmas crackers. However, the French influence on the English language was still strong in this era, and the term ‘bonbon’ persisted alongside the more common ‘cracker’. Australians, with our characteristic linguistic creativity, began to refer to these festive items as bonbons. This dual nomenclature reflected both the sweet origins of the Christmas crackers and the evolving nature of language in the colonies.

Australian English is of course known for its distinctive vocabulary and colloquialisms, and the adoption of (the original term!) ‘bonbon’ for Christmas crackers is a testament to this linguistic evolution. It’s also a nod to the French influence on British traditions and the way in which these traditions were adapted and made uniquely Australian. 

The term ‘bonbon’ for Christmas crackers may also have been originally reinforced through advertising and commercial branding. Businesses could have chosen to use ‘bonbon’ to evoke a sense of elegance and tradition, differentiating their products in a crowded market. (There’s also the alternative spelling ‘bon bon’ – more of this in a future blog!)

In recent years, as seen by a quick Google search or glance across the supermarket shelves at Christmas, the term ‘cracker’ has become increasingly popular in Australia. This evolution is again no doubt due to the influence of advertising and marketing, with imported products now dominating the market. 

Continuing the Bonbon Tradition

Here at Bonbon Fusion, we clearly rather like the term ‘bonbon’! However, we’ve got nothing at all against ‘crackers’, as you can see by the fact we use the terms interchangeably! 

Like many Australians, we grew up with the ‘bonbon’ tradition and so have a real fondness for the term (and the tradition!). Here’s what Australian-born Lauren Gawne of Superlinguo has to say:

They were always bon bons when I was growing up in Australia, but cracker does seem to be more common here in the UK. I feel genuine pity for North Americans, who did not acquire this excellent Christmas tradition. [Update: I’ve been informed by some Canadians their country is sensible enough to have this tradition, although there they are known exclusively as ‘crackers’ not 'bon bons’.]

Of course, bonbons are not just for Christmas! Head over to our site to discover our full suite of Adventure Hunt, Wedding, Date Night and Pet Bonbons, with another range coming soon!

Bonbon Fusion’s Wedding Bonbons

Returning to naming rights, as discussed at the beginning of this blog, ‘bonbon’ will always hold pride of place as the original term. Plus, it’s evocative, a delightful word to pronounce, and it’s French! What’s not to love?!