Christmas crackers have been a tradition since Tom Smith (a London sweet maker) invented them in 1845. Originally just filled with sweet treats, they have now evolved into the much loved festive table decorations that we all enjoy today. Usually containing a corny joke a colourful paper hat and a small trinket of some sort (although the plastic toys that have been so popular over the last few decades look to be on the way out due to environmental concerns), they bring laughter and fun to any Christmas celebration. Christmas Crackers come in all shapes, sizes and fantastic colours and designs and help to brighten any Christmas dinner table until its time for them to go bang! Here is a round up of some our favourite Christmas crackers to adorn your table this year ….which Christmas cracker will you be pulling?
Ridley’s Magic Tricks Christmas crackers
Bring a bit of lighthearted magic to your Christmas table setting with the Ridley’s Magic Tricks cracker set. There’s no guarantee you’ll find yourself recreating Houdini’s most difficult tricks, but our crystal ball predicts it’ll definitely be good for a bit of after lunch fun with your family and guests. The brightly patterned crackers also contains those all-essential party hats, the snap-when-pulled effect and a fun motto.
Ridley’s Magic Tricks Christmas crackers at Selfridges from £28
Luxury Tartan Christmas Crackers – 8 Pack
Perfect for Christmas dinner parties and New Year’s get together these gorgeous tartan crackers will add a luxurious touch to any dinner table. Each pack contains 8 crackers in 2 designs, finished with grosgrain ribbon and bell shaped decorations, and each cracker contains a gift, hat, joke and ‘name 5 things’ game.
Luxury Tartan Christmas Crackers – 8 Pack from M&S £25
Set Of 12 Nutcracker Print Gaming Christmas Crackers
Add the final festive finishing touch to your dining table with these christmas crackers from our own range. Decorated with a colourful, traditional nutcracker print, each one comes with a different reindeer card – simply use the enclosed character sheet to take turns asking each other questions to see who can be the first to guess who’s roo.
From Debenhams the Set Of 12 Nutcracker Print Gaming Christmas Crackers are £10
Pack of 10 Premium Winter Animal Crackers
Featuring a beautiful winter animal design, these festive silver and white premium crackers are perfect for adding some elegance to your Christmas Dinner décor. With 10 crackers in each box, each cracker includes a gift, hat, snap and motto.
Pack of 10 Premium Winter Animal Crackers from Dunelm just £5 – Cracking!
SIX LUXURY CHRISTMAS CRACKERS MADE WITH CRYSTALS FROM SWAROVSKI
Clear Crystal Luxury Christmas Crackers featuring male & female Jewellery pieces made with Crystal from Swarovski®. Each box contains three male and three female pieces from our Clear Crystal range and can be enjoyed throughout the year. All pieces are made from either Jewellers Brass with White Gold or Silver Plating or Stainless Steel with each piece featuring Crystals from Swarovski®.
Note there is a discount for multi-buys on these crackers.
One box is £29.99
Musical party Christmas crackers box of eight
Once everyone’s plates are cleared (sprouts and all), and grandpa’s tried and failed to light the Christmas pudding (does it ever work?), the contents of Ridley’s musical party crackers becomes the building blocks of a fun game. Watch hilarity and giggles ensue as you toot your whistles in time to the conductor’s baton, each player decked out in style with a paper party hat.
£28 from selfridges
Make and Fill Colour Me In Character Christmas Crackers, Pack of 6
This colour in cracker set contains hats, snaps, mottos and colouring pencils.
Colour and roll your cracker according to the simple instructions, then add the hat and motto and fill with your own gift.
Make and Fill Colour Me In Character Christmas Crackers Pack of 6 From John Lewis £10
Personalised Message And Colour Set Fudge Crackers
A luxury festive fudge Christmas Crackers in a set of 6 or 9. Add a personal greeting inside your crackers.
If you’re crackers for fudge then impress your guests with award-winning, gourmet fudge.
Hang them on a tree, stick them in a stocking, pop them in a poinsettia. Whichever way, choose from either a red or gold cracker-shaped box, which pulls open to reveal three generous squares of real-deal, hand made fudge by the UK’s oldest fudge specialist. With Sea Salted, Chocolate Orange and Speculoos Fudge … and no silly hats!
by Fudge Kitchen from Not on the High Street £22.50
Antique Christmas Crackers (Set of 6)
Elevate your table setting come December 25th with this set of Christmas crackers from Harrods. Decorated with antique-inspired designs and refined velvet bows at their opening, they are ready to be pulled with a loved one to unveil the hidden surprise inside.
From Harrods £110
FATHER CHRISTMAS LUXURY CHRISTMAS CRACKERS
Say ‘Ho Ho Ho’ with our Six Luxury Father Christmas crackers.
Eco friendly Christmas crackers.
In 1840 a confectioner started selling sweets wrapped as love tokens. One day while watching a crackling fire he had the idea of putting a friction snap into the crackers. Before long they became very popular at parties with the addition of hats and gifts. Now almost every household in Britain will celebrate Christmas with a box of fun filled crackers.
Fro Nancy & Betty Studios £25
Paperchase 12 Christmas Tree Crackers
Every Christmas dinner needs crackers! This beautiful set from Paperchase features a dotted tree design in gold and white. The toys inside vary but include marbles, sharpeners, puzzle games, and water guns. Not only do they provide entertainment and a little gift but they also add a lovely decorative touch too.
Paperchase 12 Christmas Tree Crackers Available from Next for £18
Premium Luxury 14″ Christmas Crackers 10pk – Presents
Have some fun at Christmas with family and friends with these fabulous Luxury Crackers.
Each cracker contains a party hat, a joke and a luxury gift.
From B&M Stores for just £4.99
Garden Retreat Birds Christmas Crackers, Pack of 12, Red / Green
A box of 12 luxury Christmas crackers. Each cracker features a hat, snap, joke and a small gift.
The Garden Retreat Birds Christmas Crackers, Pack of 12, Red / Green from John Lewis for £20
Mini Chocolate Christmas Crackers
Both a beautiful table-setting (with a space ready to embellish with your guest’s name) and a charming tree decoration, each of these mini Christmas crackers have one of Hotel Chocolats best-loved recipes hiding inside.
Mini Chocolate Christmas Crackers from Hotel Chocolat £17
8 Symphony Musical Christmas Crackers
If you want Christmas dinner to go with a swing, you simply must get a set of these Cracker Symphony Musical Christmas Crackers. We can’t begin to tell you how much fun everyone had when putting these musical crackers through their paces. After a bit of practice (and much hilarity), the Catalogue Team had Good King Wenceslas down to a tee… however, let’s just say our Chitty Chitty Bang Bang needed some more work!
To orchestrate the proceedings, pull the crackers to find the 8 differently toned, numbered whistles; appoint a conductor, and let the fun begin. It’s so easy; instead of notes, it’s music by numbers – the conductor points their baton at the person with the relevant numbered whistle and hey presto, sweet music is created… or total chaos!
Set of 8 handmade crackers with whistles and hats inside; number stickers; conductor’s baton and 16 tunes to play.
From Lakeland £14.99
MERI MERI Sausage dog crackers
Who said crackers were exclusively for Christmas? Not Meri Meri, that’s for sure. Guarantee your celebrations go off with a bang with the novelty dachshund crackers. Elegantly designed in a sausage dog silhouette with felt scarves, and festive slogans in gold foil detailing, when pulled they open to reveal a joke, a novelty stick-on moustache and an abundance of vibrant confetti.
£22 from Selfridges
Best Secret Santa present EVER! This novelty gift packs six fragrant and hydrating Hand Creams hiding inside colourful crackers to share with friends and family. These creamy, stocking-sized treats keep dry skin soft, smooth and moisturised all Christmas.
From The Body Shop £25
Set of six crackers, hand assembled in Dorset using Nepalese lokta papers that have been hand block printed by artisans in fair trade cooperative in the Kathmandu Valleys of Nepal. Decorated with a blue grosgrain ribbon. Each cracker contains a joke, literary riddle and paper crown, and either a paper angel chain, a fair trade fan decoration and a miniature felt animal, a star garland, a hand carved wood block print or a set of mini colouring pencils.
From TOAST £39
MERI MERI Rainbow snowman confetti Christmas crackers
Though Bing Crosby wished of a white Christmas, Meri Meri is making sure ours is filled with all the colours of the rainbow. The playful party expert has filled its snowman crackers with confetti to start your Christmas dinner with a bang. Each jolly character, wrapped up warm in a velvet ribbon scarf, contains a temporary tattoo, paper hat and a classic joke.
From Selfridges £26
