Since my husband and I began dating, Christmas Eve was always spent with my side of the family. Our gathering has always been small, informal, and — truthfully — a lot of fun. It centers on my mother's meatball sandwiches and macaroni salad. There are dozens of homemade holiday cookies and gifts around the tree. But I'd wager our "Christmas cracker" tradition is as close to royalty as I'll ever get.
After all, it's a tradition I share with Queen Elizabeth herself. Well, us and the rest of the United Kingdom, anyway.
My aunt, who is a self-professed Anglophile, showed up one Christmas Eve with an armful of enough crackers for the family and excitedly explained how they worked.
After we finished dinner, just before the cookie extravaganza, we gathered around the table ready to play. There were seven of us at the time, so that meant there were seven crackers. The first person grabbed a cracker, which is a paper tube with an enclosed center, and turned to the person on the left. After everyone had grabbed the end of a cracker, we tugged. When the crackers popped open, whoever got the majority of the cracker in their hand won and got to keep the secret prize inside.
The prizes are always quirky, random items.
I've gotten everything from a useful bottle opener to a totally useless key chain, along with the famous paper crowns and riddles tucked inside. The prizes are truly the last thing that matters; it's the silliness and playful competition that makes it such a beloved tradition.
My husband informed my aunt that it was one of his favorite parts of the holidays, and we haven't missed a cracker Christmas since.
Although our Christmases are nowhere near as glamorous, I'm sure, it was a fun surprise to learn the Queen might don a paper crown herself. The actual traditions of the Christmas crackers are slightly different in the UK, however.
The tradition itself dates back to the Victorian era, thanks to confectioner Tom Smith. Smith began adding "mottos" to his sugared almond bon-bons in the 1850s, which he sold in a twisted paper package. He decided to add the "bang" after hearing a log crackle in the fire, so when pulled, it would now pop and show a gift. In the early 1900s, his sons added a paper crown, and a few decades later they replaced the love poems with silly riddles or limericks.
I highly doubt the Queen enjoys her Christmas crackers with a meatball sandwich, but I'm sure she treasures the memories made with her children and grandchildren.
If you're thinking of adding this to your holiday tradition, I can't recommend it enough. You can snag a pack at Amazon, or if you're like my aunt, order from an English department store such as Harrods to ensure authenticity. Whether you do the fun chachkies or invest in some more upscale prizes, it's a fun way to be silly and have fun with the fam this holiday season.
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