What Gets Me Hot: Last Christmas I learned about Christmas Cracker Hats

The USofA doesn't really get into pulling crackers for Christmas which is a great shame as they make banging noises and the natives round here are usually into anything which bangs (be it animal, vegetable (?), or mineral). But to those of you not versed in Christmas crackers a few brief words of explanation.

To quote wikipedia....

"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)."

Inside the cracker is a paper hat, a really bloody awful joke, and a novelty of some sort. In decent crackers it is rumoured you can get useful things, jewels and the like. In the more usual crackers you get some plastic novelty that will give you lead poisoning if you happen to lick your fingers after handling it.

The hat has to be worn, giving intense pleasure to one and all.....

So...hat, joke, novelty. But not often a corpse. That's what Betty Lawrence of Invercargill in New Zealand found in hers. She pulled the cracker at her family gathering and was slightly surprised to find a dead and partly decomposed mouse in her part of the cracker. Now, I think it's fair to assume that it's not the joke or the novelty unless she'd bought the Marks and Spencer Dadaist Christmas Selection. So are there photos somewhere of Betty sporting her dead mouse in a jaunty manner? That I'd like to see.
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Paper Hat gift image 1
Everyone was wearing their Christmas Cracker hats (or is that "poppers" now?)

Paper Hat Dad with the hat from his Christmas Cracker.
English & Scottish tradition has Crackers on the table. Every cracker is filled with a paper hat, a fortune or joke, and a small toy or charm.
It's tradition to wear the hats during dinner.

Paper Hat

Paper Hat gift image 4 - catalog reference bkrn186
Paper Hat gift image 5 - catalog reference bkrn187
"Did our request for different safety hats get approval?"

Silver ingot embossed

SILVER INGOT EMBOSSED - delicate ingot embossing make these very pretty crackers ieal for a tree decoration, table detail or as a nice place setting at a wedding. Each cracker contains a snap, joke and silver plated charm

Velvet damask 9 x 6" (15cm) Ref: 178

FLOCKED VELVET DAMASK - gold metalinguistic foil wrapped with burgundy velvet flocking in a damask pattern. Each cracker contains a snap, joke and silver plated charm

Silver Fern embossed 9 x 6" (15cm) Ref: 150

SILVER FERN EMBOSSED - delicate light fern embossing and silky ribbons tied each end make these very pretty crackers seal for a tree decoration, table detail or as a nice place setting at a wedding. Each cracker contains a snap, joke and silver plated charm

Bows and Berries 9 x 6" (15cm) Ref: 128

BOWS AND BERRIES - these traditional holly and berry Christmas crackers are finished with an elegant linen embossing. Each cracker contains a snap, joke and silver plated charm.

My dad with a Christmas cracker hat on

Pirates of Belcher Island ! crackers 8 x 10" (25cm) Ref: 594
Ahoy Matey ! Hoist your anchors and set sail for fun with our Pirate crackers. Each 10" (25cm) cracker contains a snap, amusing joke, party hat , pirate themed gift plus temporary tattoo. Lots of fun for all !

Night before Christmas
these red and green craft Christmas crackers are a great way to add extra fun to a party especially if you have younger guests. The cute Rudolph faces are made from felt and removable to make a decoration for the tree or special souvenir. The family contents make thse ideal for when the grandchildren come to visit.Each 12" (30cm) cracker contains a snap, amusing joke, party hat and Family gift.

Cream Swirl 6 x 12" (30cm) Ref: 6897

Beautiful cream graft paper with a high gloss hot foil blocked swirl pattern .

Each 12" (30cm) Christmas cracker contains a snap, amusing joke, party hat and Manhattan gift.