What are Christmas Crackers?
Crackers were invented in the mid-1840's by
a London pastry cook named Tom Smith, and have been an integral part of British
holiday fun and tradition for over 150 years. In its simplest form, a cracker
is a small cardboard tube wrapped in a brightly colored twist of paper and
containing a paper crown (tissue party hat), a motto (British joke or riddle),
and a small gift or novelty item. When the ends of the cracker are pulled, it
tears apart producing a small, friction-activated ‘pop’ and revealing the
hidden objects inside.
In addition to
Christmas, Crackers are used as decorative party favors to celebrate a variety
of other special occasions and festive events. The pulling of crackers and donning
of the party hats creates a relaxed, festive atmosphere certain to get any
party function off the ground.
