Crackers

Christmas crackers are an integral part of celebrations in theUnited Kingdom,United State,Australia,Canada,NewZelandand in other Commonwealth countries. A cracker consists of a cardboard tube wrapped in a brightly decorated twist of paper, making it resemble an oversized sweet-wrapper. The cracker is pulled by two people, and, much in the manner of a wishbone, the cracker splits unevenly. The split is accompanied by a small bang produced by the effect of friction on a chemically impregnated card strip (similar to that used in a cap gun). Typically these contents are a coloured paper hat or crown; a small toy or other trinket and a motto, a joke or piece of trivia on a small strip of paper. In one recent instance, a woman was surprised by a dead mouse in her cracker. Crackers are often pulled after Christmas dinner or at parties. Assembled crackers are typically sold in boxes of three to twelve. These typically have different designs usually with red, green and gold colours.