For over 170 years, crackers have graced the tables of our Christmas meals, considered as much of a fixture during the festive feast as the turkey itself. While eye-rolling-inducing jokes and silly hats are considered part and parcel of the experience, there are some aspects of the cracker-pulling experience that many of us would like to leave in the past. Once known as “bangs of expectations”, crackers have become a divisive part of the seasonal celebrations.
This is predominantly due to the waste that they produce. Many are crafted in recyclable paper but the gifts inside are generally plastic and destined for the landfill. We’re talking about paperclips, keyrings, thimbles and those unusual red fortune-telling fish.
The fix is to secure crackers that include mini presents that your guests will delight in finding after winning the meal-commencing tug of war, rather than those rogue unusable DIY tools. No pint-sized screwdrivers in sight, crackers that fall into the luxury camp open to reveal sample-sized beauty products to offer a self-care treat, spirits to give a merry twist to the meal or decorative keepsakes that will be reused year after year. Christmas crackers can also help to set the mood for the meal.
Look for beautifully adorned designs with pretty patterns that will enhance your tablescaping and tie in your Christmassy decorations – whether you are taking a traditional approach with wintery and holy-adorned design details or instead are turning classic se.