Christmas crackers were part and parcel of all my childhood Christmases in Ireland.
My sisters and I loved playing with these festive, popping, paper tubes before we tucked into our Christmas dinner.
Table of Contents
Christmas Crackers Laid on the Table for Christmas Dinner
On Christmas Day our place settings always included a Christmas cracker lovingly laid above our spoons. Patiently waiting to start our cracker games, we admired the glittering favors on our yuletide table.
Once we all sat down to dinner the cracker wars began. Crackers can be pulled in a sedate and genteel manner seated beside a table, but that would have been too lady like for cracker fanatics. We stood face-to-face, with feet placed strategically apart, to create maximum pulling advantage.
Holding firmly to my end, I pulled with all my might. With eyes closed tightly I valiantly fought my Christmas cracker battles.
The loud explosive crackle of our gleeful paper tearing signaled time to open my eyes. Sheer delight followed if I held the larger half of the tube, with all its hidden surprises, which were usually found scattered all over the dining room floor.
Now truth be told these hidden surprises were little more than plastic tricky trackies. A corny joke on a little rectangular piece of paper was wrapped around a neatly folded colored paper crown.
Here's a quick question for all my Irish readers -
Have you have ever eaten your Christmas dinner with a brightly colored paper crown adorning your head?
I'm quite certain every Irish photo album contains a few pictures of relatives wearing Christmas cracker hats at the dinner table.
Victorian Origins of Christmas Crackers
As I started to reminisce about Christmas crackers I realized I have no idea when and how they came to be. I guessed they are an English, Victorian innovation, so I took to the internet to discover the "truth".
Christmas crackers are indeed an English invention, and were first created by a Victorian gentleman and sweet maker called Tom Smith.
During a trip to Paris he was impressed by French bon-bon sweets, which were beautifully wrapped almonds with a joke printed inside. He tried selling 'bon-bon's" in England, but they simply didn't catch on.
One evening as he sat by his warm fire, watching the logs sparking and crackling, a brain wave struck. Why not place the sweets with little toys inside a paper tube that popped once opened.
Tom's cracker business was born and it was a resounding success. His three sons, Tom, Walter and Henry, eventually took over the business, and Walter introduced the now-obligatory paper crowns, which may symbolize the Wise Kings who visited Jesus in the manger.
Finding Christmas Crackers in America
I bought Christmas crackers for my children last year for the very first time. They were a resounding success. They absolutely LOVED them.
This year they keep asking me if we are going to have Christmas crackers again.
And so, each and every year I continue our little Irish Christmas cracker tradition.
Our Christmas table setting isn't complete without a lovingly placed Christmas cracker above the spoon.
If you enjoy Christmas crackers over the holidays, then you might like my color-your-own Christmas cracker craft. It's great fun for little ones.
Wishing you all happy Christmas cracker pulling contests this year.
Slán agus beannacht,
(Goodbye and blessings)
Mairéad -Irish American Mom
Pronunciation - slawn ah-gus ban-ock-th
Mairéad - rhymes with parade
Purchasing Christmas Crackers In America
I have purchased Christmas crackers in Target and World Market in the past, but I found their stocks were limited.
A quick disclosure note: The link below is an affiliate link and I will receive a commission if you choose to make a purchase using this link. Thanks in advance if you do utilize this link for your Irish shopping.
For online purchases of Christmas crackers check out the Food Ireland website.. They have a wonderful selection of Irish goodies which can be shipped throughout the United States.
Where to next on your Irish heritage journey of discovery? You might be interested in ....
An Irish Christmas - Ancient Rural Traditions
A Candle In The Window - An Irish Christmas Tradition
Christmas Chocolate Yule Log Recipe
- Barmbrack - A Traditional Fruity Bread From Ireland
- Pumpkin Beetroot Soda Bread A Healthy Twist On An Irish Favorite
- Bread Machine Hot Cross Buns For Easter
- Savory Creamy Chicken and Asparagus Pancakes
- Blueberry Cinnamon Toast Crunch Muffins
- Irish Buttermilk Scones
- Blueberry Banana Oatmeal Muffins
- Buttermilk Pancakes
Phyllis
we will have extra friends for Christmas dinner and one has a Christmas Day birthday. Another suggested bringing "crackers" to help celebrate and honor him. I'll be sure to read your post if that happens. 🙂
Irish American Mom
Phyllis - I love your friend's Christmas cracker suggestion for honoring your birthday friend on Christmas Day. Make sure everyone wears their paper crown as they read out the corny joke found inside their popped crackers.
All the best, and hope you are enjoying the run-up to Christmas this year.
Mairéad
Patricia
What a lovely new tradition for your family! It is so nice that they will also enjoy the fun that you also experienced as a child! It is like a link in the chain of your family tree. Though I did not grow up with the cracker tradition, we have things we do that my family did when I was a child. It is grand to see your own children share your same joy, isn't it? 🙂
Irish American Mom
Patricia - I think, as parents, watching our children grow, learn and experience joy is one of life's greatest gifts. The links in the chains of our interconnected family traditions grow stronger every year, especially as our children grow and learn to appreciate our heritage and culture. One of the main reasons I started writing this blog was to record my memories, traditions, recipes and personal interpretation of Irish culture for my children. Every time I publish a blog post I remind myself that I am recording another little chapter in my written record of days gone by, and hopefully creating a little legacy to pass on to my four children someday.
Hope you have a wonderful Christmas,
Mairéad
Maureen O Hanlon
Thank you Mairead for that lovely story about crackers, our Christmas wouldnt be complete without them, My grand children and I usually sneak a few before Christmas and crack them, with me trying to pull them so that they will get the gift side :):). I put them on the tree one year but they didnt last ha,
Irish American Mom
Maureen - Crackers on our Christmas tree would never last either. They are such a simple novelty, but my kids just love their Christmas cracker battles.
All the best, and hope your are enjoying all your Christmas preparations this year. What a lovely time of year.
Mairéad
Maureen O Hanlon
Im back again Mairead, I used to love the red see through fish you get in the crackers, it told your fortune, do you remember it, and the jumping frog, my grand son and I cracked 3 the other night and he got a tweesers a nail clippers and a name tag, but they were a bit expensive as i was putting some of them in a gift box with a cake for someone, I prefer the cheaper one they are more fun.
Irish American Mom
Maureen - Last year we got one box with nail clippers and other gadgets just like you described, but the other box of crackers we had popped to reveal the plastic tricky trackies my kids loved - silly little spinning tops, and dice, and a little set of cards. They were in their element. And so the lesson is, stick to the cheap ones, the fancy ones are just not as good. Ha! 🙂
Take care,
Mairéad
T.M. Johnson
Mairead, fireworks at the Christmas feast? What kid wouldn't love a "pop-bang" anytime of the year? My experience with Christmas pyrotechnics usually involves heated discussions with the hosted relatives. These "crackers," then, must be like exploding pinatas? I was not aware they contained "goodies," (though I have yet to detonate one). My first knowledge of these traditional Christmas explosives came from one of our favorite Christmas DVDs: "Merry Christmas, Mr. Bean," starring the English comedian Rowan Atkinson who reconstructed two or three holiday crackers into an "improvised explosive device." After your kids salute the season with their crackers, show them the Atkinson sketch. I'll assure you, it will join the Christmas cracker tradition in the IAM household. Yours for a raucous, "poppin'" good Christmas. TMJ.
Irish American Mom
T.M. - That Mr. Bean show is one of my favorites. I love the part where he ends up with the turkey over his head. I recently introduced my kids to Mr. Bean and they love him. Watching his Christmas special is a great idea for this year.
Hope you too have a cracking great Christmas.
Best wishes, and all the blessings of the season to you and yours.
Mairéad
Brighid O'Sullivan
I always wondered what those poppers were about. So the crown is inside it? What a fantastic and fun thing for old and young on the holidays! I love holiday traditions.
Irish American Mom
Brighid - I'm so glad this little post clarified the mystique behind Christmas crackers for you. They are ever so popular all over the United Kingdom and Ireland. A great holiday tradition.
All the best,
Mairéad
Maureen O Hanlon
Merry Christmas to you and your family, yes I am enjoying the Christmas I love it, I think it passes too fast for me and am so sad when the time comes to taking down the tree, i wish I could leave it up until February :):) I often dream I havnt taken it down, ha.
Christmas greeetings
Maureen
Irish American Mom
Maureen - Have a lovely Christmas, too.
Nollaig Shona Duit,
Mairéad
Alice Morrison
Maureen, for your story of Christmas Crackers. I'm sitting beside a large box of bright red and green crackers now and the brand is Tom Smith. Had no idea he invented them. My son in law is from England so we have had Christmas Crackers for Many years. It's always fun and we wear the hats! I hope you and your family have a wonderful Christmas. That's a beautiful necklace you are giving away. Please put my name in for the drawing. P.S. I was happy to know the tradition is also Irish, our heritage. Alice