Pop Goes the Christmas Cracker

by kiwilog

Whether your family celebrates Christmas or not, I’m betting you aren’t familiar with Christmas crackers. (No, I don’t mean a crunchy snack that’s colored red and green or is flavored with any of the holiday spices!) Unless, of course, you happen to be British.

Opened on Christmas morning in England, Christmas crackers (or poppers, as they’re sometimes called) are tube-like packages filled with surprises like small toys, candies, or jokes written on pieces of paper. And the name? When you pull the packages open, they make a loud popping sound.

My family isn’t British—so I’m not sure how the tradition of Christmas crackers got started at our house. Every Christmas morning since as far back as I can remember, my family has sat down to a decadent breakfast (after opening presents, of course!), and each place at the table is set with a Christmas cracker. Everyone pops theirs open and compares the strange prizes that come inside. What’s more, the Christmas crackers my mom gets also have crowns made of colored tissue paper, and we always wear them while we eat our cinnamon rolls and drink our tea. A fun, festive way to kick off the day, don’t you think?

Normally, I’m a big fan of DIY projects, and I found some instructions on how to make homemade Christmas crackers here. But there’d be no element of surprise if you crafted your own—so I say buy them! Find a wide selection at oldenglishcrackers.com.

-Marygrace, KIWI staff writer

Tags: family tradition, holidays