Christmas Crackers - The Key to a Traditional British Xmas

Aside from the crispy bacon draped over the turkey breast to keep it moist, there's only one thing I must have at Christmas time.....and that's Christmas Crackers.

According to some Christmas trivia website, we Brits have been pulling crackers at the Christmas dinner table ever since 1850. Who knows if it is true but whatever the lore, crackers are a favourite of kids and adults alike.

For any neophytes out there, crackers are tubes of decorated cardboard tube, filled with a kitsch, tacky toy, a bright paper hat and a very bad joke printed on a slip of paper. They are called crackers because when you pull the ends to open them they "crack" (thanks to a tiny strip of explosive material built inside).

 

All the major UK stores sell crackers and Williams-Sonoma offers a range online (though it seems to be out of stock at present) and in its US stores. My current favourites though are these "Colour In" crackers - great for giving your Gastrokids something to design and make their own in the frenzied run up to the big day.

- Matthew