Christmas crackers are a British tradition, consisting of a tube wrapped in paper that is pulled apart, making a popping sound. They contain a hat, gift, balloon, and joke. The tradition originated from French bonbons and was developed by pastry chef Tom Smith in 1847. Today, they are still popular and can be filled with personalized gifts.
Christmas crackers are long tubes, wrapped in bright paper that has been twisted at each end. One person pulls on each end of the cracker and as the cracker cracks, a small chemical streak goes “Pop!” and the content falls out. Traditionally they contain a paper party hat, a small gift, a balloon and a joke or old saying. The jokes are generally old and most Britons will recognize them instantly, as the same jokes have been used for many years. It’s part of the charm.
Once the cracker has been opened, whoever opens it decides who gets the hat and the gift. The jokes are read aloud, everyone moans, and the next cracker is opened. Most Brits would say that Christmas just wouldn’t be the same without a nice assortment of Christmas crackers to pop open after Christmas dinner.
Christmas crackers are a uniquely British invention. They have their origins in French bonbons, but pastry chef Tom Smith, inspired by the sound a log makes when thrown into a fire, experimented with the basic idea and by 1847 had the first cracker shapes ready for sale.
Christmas crackers were expanded to hold better gifts, and in the early 20th century Tom Smith’s sons used them to commemorate major events such as the 20th Paris Exposition. They hired writers to compose appropriate jokes and sayings for each occasion and they marketed these crackers to an audience that couldn’t get enough. The tradition has continued and Christmas crackers, as well as other types of crackers, are still grossed out in Britain. Some companies sell empty crackers that buyers can fill themselves, according to their taste.
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