Eyes closed with eagerness, a tiny little hand dives into a box. Grabbing one bit and clenching the fist so as not to lose that precious little thing, the little hand comes out and palm up, its’ a bear. With a gleeful shout, that little bear is raised up and chomped down. And the hunt for the next “animal cracker” begins.
Almost every childhood has been marked by animal crackers or cookies and milk. These particular type of small cookies have been baked in the shape of animals ( zoo or circus), slightly sweet, made by a single layered dough like crackers.
Although the initial varieties were light coloured and slightly sweet; today darker chocolate flavoured or coloured frosted variants have made their way into the supermarket shelves. From the initial “Stauffer’s Biscuit Company produced animal crackers and Nabisco’s “Barnum’s Animals”, today other animal shaped crackers or cookies have gained popularity like Teddy Grahams, Goldfish, Hello Panda and Koala’s March. These differ from traditional animal crackers in flavor and assortment.
“Animal crackers, and cocoa to drink
That is the finest of suppers, I think
When I’m grown up and can have what I please,
I think I shall always insist upon these.”
-Christopher Morley (Founder of ‘Saturday Review’, 1924-1941)
Around 6th to 7th century, the custom of shaping cookies to resemble animals began from the Yule Tribe. During their times, it was common to sacrifice animals to the gods during the Julfest ceremonies, in hope that such offerings would bring a mild winter and an early spring. As the poor people couldn’t afford to kill any of their animals, they gave token sacrifices in the form of animal-shaped breads and cookies. Over the years, animal crackers became household or local bakery goods.
Yet the crisp animal crackers came from the 19th century Victorian England as attractive cookies or biscuits. The “crisp biscuits” (sweet and cookie-like biscuit) were very popular and the English called the ones that shaped like animals “Animals”. During the late 19th century, these “Animals” were imported from England to the United States. Due to their local popularity and high demand, local manufacture also began their own “Animals” making business. American businesses like Stauffer’s Biscuit Company, which still exists today, made their first animal crackers in 1871 York, Pennsylvania.
Around 1889 in England, animal crackers were manufactured as marketing promotions for popular entertainment, P.T. Barnum’s Circus. In 1902 animal cracker boxes designed for “Barnum’s Animals” (became “Barnum’s Animal Crackers” in 1948) were also designed for the Christmas season. The initial cracker boxes had a piece of string to hang them from the Christmas Trees as ornaments.
Almost 54 different animals crackers’ have been created in total, with 37 different animals have been featured into Animal Crackers ( Nabisco’s Barnum’s). The only ones survived the entire lifetime of the product are bears, elephants, lions and tigers. Interestingly among all their “cracker animals”, it’s only the monkey that wears pants. Also rabbits have never been a part of them even today (unlike portrayed in the Shirley Temple Song of 1935). Commemorating the 100th anniversary of Animal Crackers, the “name-our-next animal” contest in 2002 saw the koala bear became the latest addition by beating out the penguin, walrus and cobra in the customer survey.
Thus on National Animal Cracker Day (April 18th) it would remiss not to include the animal crackers on the menu. The range is varied from mini-sized treats to additions into soups, crunchy salads or even with ice-cream, fruit salads, custards or just with tea, having them the old, simple way. For a break from the “adult-life” going back into the childhood treats can be good physical and mental “calorie” breaks.
“Animal crackers in my soup Monkeys and rabbits loop the loop Gosh oh gee but I have fun Swallowing animals one by one In every bowl of soup I see Lions and Tigers watching me I make ’em jump right through a hoop Those animal crackers in my soup When I get hold of the big bad wolf I just push him under to drown Then I bite him in a million bits And I gobble him right down When their inside me where it’s dark I walk around like Noah’s ark I stuff my tummy like a goop With animal crackers in my soup.” Shirley Temple
Sugar And Spice... Among Other Things 
