Museum Notebook: A sweet gift for Christmas

A tin of chocolates gifted to a soldier in the Boer War by Queen Victoria in 1900. This tin still has the chocolate inside, made by JS Fry & Sons. Whanganui Regional Museum Collection Ref: 1935.14

The festive season is nigh. Children are counting down the sleeps, adults are wondering where the year has gone and there is a mild panic to buy last-minute gifts for unexpected guests.

So, what’s a classic Christmas gift that we know will be appreciated? Chocolate.

Now found on the shelves next to most supermarket checkouts, chocolate was once a special delicacy that only the elite or the very rich could enjoy. Chocolate originated in Mesoamerica, where the Aztecs used cacao beans and spices to make a bitter, chocolate-y drink. It was believed the cacao bean was a gift from the gods, so important it was used as currency, and thus the drink was reserved for royalty, deserving warriors or select guests.

When Spanish explorers invaded during the 16th century, this cacao drink was one of the souvenirs they took back to Europe. After the addition of sugar, vanilla and other flavourings, the drink became popular among the upper classes, but it remained a luxury and was reserved for those who could afford it. King Louis XIV of France introduced it to his court and it became a regular feature on the menu at Versailles. Marie Antoinette even brought her own chocolate-maker with her when she married Louis XVI.

It wasn’t until the 19th century and the industry boom that chocolate became widely available. It was still considered a delicacy so was exchanged on special occasions and, due to its reputation as a sumptuous extravagance, the recipient would know the giver thought they were someone very special.

A selection of more recent chocolate boxes. Whanganui Regional Museum Collection Ref: 2013.13.8-11

The first solid moulded chocolate bar was developed by British chocolatier JS Fry in 1847. He soon began moulding chocolate coins, and marketed them as festive treats to represent the gold coins gifted by the Three Wise Men, or the coins given to children by Saint Nicholas.

In 1900, Queen Victoria wished to show her appreciation to the soldiers involved in the Boer War, so she commissioned three firms – JS Fry & Sons, Cadbury Brothers and Rowntree & Co – to make chocolate gift tins. The Quaker chocolatiers didn’t wish to profit from war, so offered the chocolate as a donation and packaged the bars in unbranded tins. Queen Victoria wanted the soldiers to know where the gift had come from, so personally funded the manufacture of the signature red tins bearing her image, insignia and a message in her handwriting reading: “I wish you a happy New Year”.

In total, 123,000 tins were made, each containing half a pound (226 grams – not quite a Whittaker’s block) of vanilla chocolate. The tins were sent to the front lines, but if the soldier had been injured before receiving his gift it was forwarded to him in hospital, or if he had been killed it was sent to his next of kin. The tins were prized gifts, with many soldiers keeping them or sending them home for safekeeping, although some enterprising soldiers sold theirs for £20 – equivalent to nearly NZ$4000 today.

Today, chocolate is still a delicious treat at Christmas. In Holland, a traditional gift is a chocoladeletter [chocolate letter] in the shape of the recipient’s first initial, and in Mexico the turkey is topped with a layer of chocolate sauce before serving. In Aotearoa, a chocolate advent calendar is a fun way to count down to Christmas, and chocolates make frequent appearances on the festive table or under the tree.

So, enjoy a sweet treat this Christmas - it’s tradition.

Sandi Black is the archivist at Whanganui Regional Museum.