ENGLISH CHRISTMAS CRACKER

An English Christmas cracker is a cardboard tube wrapped in colorful paper that contains a small gift, a joke or riddle, and a paper crown. When two people pull the cracker apart, it makes a loud bang and the paper strips inside react with a mixture of gunpowder to create the sound.

The tradition of Christmas crackers originated in Victorian times. Confectioner Tom Smith is credited with inventing the Christmas cracker in the 1840s by wrapping paper mottoes around his bonbon sweets.

Crackers can contain a variety of items, including toys, party hats, jokes, and pieces of information. Some luxury crackers may contain more expensive items like perfume or whiskey

To open a Christmas cracker, two people slowly pull apart the ends with steady pressure and a twisting motion.

It's traditional to wear the paper crown, even if it's ill-fitting, as a way to look silly in pictures