Buying Christmas crackers at The Christmas Shop
Christmas crackers come in handmade sets at The Christmas Shop, put together by two specialists. A christmas cracker is a paper tube shaped like an oversized sweet, twisted at both ends and pulled open with a small bang. Inside sit three things: a paper crown, a small gift, and a slip of paper with a joke or a riddle. Robin Reed from England make every set of six or eight by hand. Holly & Ivy from South Africa are recognisable by their bold, graphic prints.
How does a Christmas cracker work?
The ritual is simple, and that is half the fun. You hold one end of your own cracker while your neighbour takes the other. On the signal, everyone pulls at once. A paper snap inside gives a short bang and the cracker splits in two. Whoever ends up with the larger half keeps the contents. The crown then goes on the head, stays there for the rest of the meal, and the joke gets read out loud. Even when it falls flat. Especially when it falls flat.
The invention by Tom Smith in London
Tom Smith, a London confectioner, came up with the christmas cracker in the 1840s. On a trip to Paris he saw how French bonbons were wrapped in festive paper, twisted at both ends. He brought the idea back to England and built it up one piece at a time: first a printed motto, then a paper strip that gave a short bang, and finally a small gift inside. His son Walter later added the paper crown. The recipe has barely changed since.
Robin Reed: handmade in England
Robin Reed make every christmas cracker by hand in their own English workshop. The brand is best known for its racing christmas crackers: a reindeer, a polar bear, a penguin or a nutcracker runs along the cracker, and you can race them against each other at the table. The Flower Seeds crackers hold seeds to sow after dinner, and the Pet crackers come with a toy for the dog or cat. The gifts inside are noticeably more thoughtful than the supermarket version.
Holly & Ivy: contemporary craft from South Africa
Holly & Ivy sit on the other side of the world but follow the same handmade principle. The prints are sharper and more graphic than the classic English style, with series like Metallic Florals and Holly. If your Christmas table leans toward gold, copper or a clean botanical motif, Holly & Ivy is the natural match. A set sits well next to minimal Christmas tableware and restrained table linen.
