Sunday, 19 December 2010

21 days of Yule: day 19: Yule Bespelled Crackers

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I am a big fan of the show the Victorian Farm, it’s a show produced on BBC in the UK which attempts to re-establish what life was like during the Victorian era. It has several different people with the expertise to help re-build the life and times on the Victorian farm. I got into this show because I love sustainability and read a few blogs about being an urban farmer( it’s the dream). On the show they spent a whole year living the life, and of course that meant Christmas too; as many of the traditions we have today stem from the Victorian era, including the Christmas tree, it is fun to watch how they reproduce the activities, games, food, and of course Christmas crackers.


As a descendant of the British empire, many of the Jamaican traditions herald from the British way of doing Christmas and of course the crackers are big hits; especially before dinner. When they were first created it was an attempt to sell more candy as the man who came up with them was a candy shop owner.


My mom carries on the tradition, of making the crackers and uses them in many different ways, from tree decorations to place holders, and of course as mini gifts. I love making these with her, especially as a child, then as I changed faith I found that these make a great little spell.  Here is my modern witchy adaptation to this time honored tradition.


Supplies needed:
toilet paper roll (the inner cardboard)
your choice wrapping paper
glue or glue gun with extra sticks
some left over ribbon and fabric



                                                                 Instructions:
Get your supplies together, now, cut the paper to go around the roll.
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glue the wrapping paper around the toilet paper, make sure to tuck in everything inside the roll.
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Once it is dry, you can add on the ribbons to make the ends simply glue them on. Allow the glue to dry and tie them off with your extra little ribbons, make huge loops as these will help to hang them on the tree.
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To complete the project, you wrap another piece of paper or fabric around the roll to hide the ends of the ribbons. Or you can use a pretty piece of ribbon to hide the ruff edges.
This is how your project advances:
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 I made several in different color schemes, including a few in gold, as gold represents the sun. 

                                                             How to make these witchy.
If your going to hang them on the tree, you can fill them with herbs of the season, so that they both smell good, and can draw in the magick of the season as well.
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You can whisper a prayer for the season into the roll before sealing it in, and hang it so it becomes a wish on the tree.
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You can add candy into all of them and place them on the table, adding a gold coin, into one so that the recipient becomes the Lord or Lady of Misrule, who will guide the activities for the rest of the evening.
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Or you can do what my Mom does, which is place inside a prayer (wish) for each person, into each cracker, along with a sweet; to make it more magickal, you can add a coin for abundance or a small stone for luck, even a few evergreen needles inside will help.These she generally places on the table on top of your plate before you eat. It's always fun to open them up and see what the wish for your new year is. Not to mention the treats.


You can hang them on the tree and simply place a prayer or wish into each one. Or you can number them and make them into little "advent" calendar  counting up to 21 with each containing something pertaining to the day and it's part in Yule.


How ever you use them my loves I hope you enjoy the little lore and craft I have shared
Blessed Be

6 comments:

  1. Wow - I just posted about crackers too! (they are new to me!) I love the idea of making your own, and I'm going to start saving the toilet paper cardboard so I can do this next year! Thanks!

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  2. @Aine your so welcome, great minds think alike lol. I'm glad you like the idea, because they are so easy and awesome to make and they are great way to recycle.
    BB

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  3. These are nifty ideas!

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  4. My mother was a complete anglophile and every Xmas we would always have our traditional Xmas crackers from Harrods, I loved them, but these are so much better and more magickal. We'll see if I succeed in making these, but I'm going to try. When are you going to open an Etsy shop, Aisha? I would be one of your #1 customers :)

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  5. @Wendy I'm thinking about it, Lol, they are easy to make and are great to have, I wish you much success in making them.
    BB

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