Saturday, December 22, 2007

English "Christmas Crackers"......

Have you gotten your "Christmas Crackers?"
If you haven't you better hurry because they sell out FAST.

I always buy mine early but even this year I had a hard time finding them. So I grabbed the only box I could find and they were smaller in size than the ones I usually buy.
Which mean that there's not as much cheap, junk in them.

Not a huge loss I suppose. HA!

Years ago I started buying them because we had company in from England and I wanted this person to feel "at home" and able to have a few "familiar" traditions.

My kids had a FIT and hated wearing the goofy "paper crown" hat inside of them.....but now....they like to do it.
And read the jokes and see the junky gifts. HA!

So I have to continue to purchase them.

Apparently so do others here in town....because they become sparse and limited after we get closer to Christmas.

Here's a bit of history for you regarding "Christmas Crackers".....
I like history and it helps us to understand cultures and other things better.

"Christmas crackers were invented by Thomas Smith, a London pastry cook in 1846. It was during a visit to Paris, where he came across the bob-bon, a sugar almond wrapped in tissue paper (with a twist on either side of the centrally placed sweet).
Smith included a romantic message inside his early crackers which he marketed in Britannia's "Kiss Mottos". However the product enjoyed only limited success until Smith devised a way to make the cracker "pop" when pulled apart."


I've only but in a bit of what "Crackers" are all about...the real joy is just opening them.....

And wearing those crazy hats. That is fun I have to say. And the cheesy jokes.
I haven't a CLUE as to "who" these people are.....but they look like they are having fun. HA!
Crackers will do that for you.
I think they look Irish though for several reasons...maybe they were hitting a "wee bit of the 'Bushmill's'" too?
The lady looks a bit...out of it.

At least they are happy....and have great "Hats" on.

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