So true!!!! The year we lived in England we couldn't get over seeing men in business suits wearing paper crowns every time we went out to eat in December. We now do Christmas crackers every year on Christmas Eve and introduce a new set of American friends to them. It's our fave tradition.
God Bless Scotland 🏴 England 🏴 Wales 🏴 Northern Ireland 🇮🇪. Four very separate countries, with their own culture, that sit together under one flag 🇬🇧
@@maisielb1517not everyone eats Christmas dinner on Christmas. My family eats our dinner on Christmas Eve so no one has to work on Christmas in any fashion so it’s a holiday for all the family and we eat the leftovers
Also going around the table and everyone reading the awful dad joke that comes with said tissue crown and the kids fighting over the dollar store tchotchkes 🎉
Kacie... You just made me understand the Christmas scene in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. I never understood why Arthur Weasley wore a crown until now. XD
As an American with a British grandma, we did these every year here in the states. It wasn’t until I was out of college that I realized no one else really does them.
@@avacx as an Australian ever winter you see advertisements for hot water bottles, weather bags# electric blankets (for both over and under you) and various electric heaters. Though we don't get snow unless its in the mountains, the closest thing we have had recently was on the 22 of December (Summer here) and we had hail so thick that 20 minutes later the golf course near where we lived looked like it had snosit was so white. The roads were then steaming from being hot previously. The weather has been really f'ed up recently.
I was so excited when my Appalachian husband said that he also grew up with Christmas crackers every year. This is my first Christmas with my in-laws and my mother-in-law happily presented me a plate of saltines covered in chocolate and caramel. She said she made extra for me to take home because my husband said they were my favorite. Most adorable culture mixup I’ve ever been apart of!
Oh, that’s Christmas *crack* and it is the best! 😂 But yeah, sometimes we change the name because of the drug and sensitive relatives although the snack food predates drug. Welcome to our weirdness, in more ways that one.
Agree, it's 27th and I have so many crowns lying around and hanging off the tree ☺️ as for those plastic spinny top things ? I'm finding those feckers everywhere and I don't remember anyone pulling even ONE out of the cracker 😆
American here. I grew up doing crackers every year for Xmas and new years. My Mom started making them herself and made 80 for my wedding in July a few years ago. It was such a hit. Inside were little magnetic people symbolizing connection. Update: My brother is making some today for us to open for the new year.
@@spa-town1937 Yeah, you can buy a 100 pack of the gunpowder snaps online. They use a pattern and cut out from wrapping paper since it's sturdy enough and comes in all sorts of fun patterns.
As a Canadian, this is a classic at Christmas and New Years dinners. Ours also usually come with a little joke or riddle inside that everyone shares with the table
I live in Canada and one of my coworkers who was originally from England was flying down to see family for the holidays in Florida about 12 years ago. The TSA agent was really confused by the Christmas crackers but she didn't want to demonstrate it since it would make a small little explosion sound and she didn't want to be detained as a terrorist. She tried to explain it was a Christmas decoration with a little toy inside. The agent was so confused but eventually let her on the plane with them
I’m in the southern US and Christmas crackers have been our family tradition for over 20 years! I figured everyone had them until I had friends come over a few times!
@@StinkyCatFarts Lol seriously... just reading through some of the comments on this video, it's clearly a tradition in many parts of the world... I've seen Britain, Ireland, Canada, South Africa, Australia, and parts of the U.S. and that was just briefly scrolling though. Clearly no one "owns" this tradition.. I've never understood gate keeping especially when it comes to something that clearly everyone seems to really enjoy and have fond memories of... like what, you don't want other people to have a little fun on their holiday too? I just don't get it, it's weird.
They’re called crackers because they used to stick in a tiny amount of gunpowder in them-they are firecrackers. Presumably they started taking out the gunpowder when they started getting rid of guns.
I'm British and they really are the best traditions! I never knew until recently that we were the only people who have them! I genuinely thought it was a worldwide thing! The hat, the gift and the terrible joke inside brings everyone together! ❤️
I researched what they were after I had seen them in Harry Potter and I actually made some for my family a few years ago! Didn’t know the part about linking arms though :)
It’s not really linking arms, if you grab the cracker in your left hand, you pull it with the person to your right, so you cross your arms in front of you.
LOL I had my husband watch. I have an English father and my husband 1st first generation Canadian with German parents. Your video was very relatable to him regarding his first Christmas with us...
@@clairec9742 Merry Christmas! See it makes sense to me that it would be that way, but I didn’t hear that until I was at least 16 myself. 😊 I kind of love how things vary state to state here (raised in both nth Qld and NSW), it can be like a different country sometimes!
My aunt is from England and we did this when we were little with her. It was so funny seeing her and my uncle(not British) 24 hours later still wearing their crowns. I believe my uncle made it a week or something insane😂
I'm from Mexico but one of my aunt's lived in UK for several years and she used to bring those to celebrate Christmas, it's one of my favorite Christmas childhood memories
Not sure about elsewhere in Canada but in Manitoba growing up in the 80s we always had these. I am Dutch/Ukraine background but a lot of my city was European descendents/immigrants so that might have something to do with it. Sending everyone good karma, I hope you all have a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year 😊💕🇨🇦
We've got them in Ontario, too! My paper crown shredded before I could put it on this year but the crackers themselves were so hard to pull apart that dinner nearly descended into chaos. No complaints here hahaha
when i read the part with the christmas crackers in goblet of fire i thought it was like crackers like saltines or triskets or something and then hats just came out when you broke them in half lmao😂 i only realized they weren’t edible JUST NOW
In Norway we have those as vell but with a note with weird jokes inside of them along the paper crown. We also usally have Them on a traditional cake called kransekake, which is usally served on our national day, confirmations or Christmas ✨️
Christmas crackers are honestly one of the best things about Christmas dinners, gives everyone something to enjoy together and is always full of comedy and drama
Haha I’m American but we do this at my grandmothers house for Christmas! It’s really fun and I always try to trade someone for the tiny nail clippers then lose them anyway
My husband's family (Filipinos) introduced these to me at their Christmas party. Everyone was so excited for them. It startled me hearing over a dozen go off at once.
Omg I just looked these up and they come in so many different patterns and colors and sizes and they’re so cute! I’d love to adopt this tradition but my family would probably think I’ve gone bonkers 🥲
I didn’t realize that this was a British thing. My family does this for many holidays and we have lived in the us for ten generations. Weird, but then again I was raised like I was in the 1950s
It's interesting how this tradition exists in every Anglophone country besides the US. I was surprised to hear that Canadians and Australians do this too because this tradition is completely absent from American culture.
Christmas crackers are one of my favourite traditions to do. I find the paper crowns hard to wear as I have a small head though lol. the ones we had for Christmas this year were labeled after the different numbers from the 12 days of Christmas and looked so adorable!
This is done in Italy so much Italy think of Italy in Spain as copies of England and the USA literally carbon copies that's all they do this is been done in Italy for the last 45 years
They’re really common in Canada too! (At least they’re widely sold at stores, I only know my own extended family’s traditions😅) They actually are one of my favourite parts of Christmas😊
I'm an American but we have some close family friends who are British. My great-grandmother used to have these at our family Christmas dinner. It was always a blast for the kids.
My mom is from Canada. Her family does this tradition too. I remember trading the toys and trinkets that come in them along with the crown with my cousins.
You forgot the part when someone gets the mini screwdriver set and someone goes "hey ill trade you my tiny jumping frog" 💀
This was my first year not getting the tiny frog and I'm still bitter about it :')
I always get a little fabric tape measure. Rude or what, I'm just about to have massive meal.
I got the mini screwdriver this year!
@@Kuhlayre Winner!
I got the fortune teller fish
Or my tiny tape measure or tweezers hhehe
So true!!!! The year we lived in England we couldn't get over seeing men in business suits wearing paper crowns every time we went out to eat in December. We now do Christmas crackers every year on Christmas Eve and introduce a new set of American friends to them. It's our fave tradition.
The most eccentric humor ever is British!!
God Bless
Scotland 🏴
England 🏴
Wales 🏴
Northern Ireland 🇮🇪.
Four very separate countries, with their own culture, that sit together under one flag 🇬🇧
Why??
Nooooo not on Christmas eve, it's got to be with Christmas Dinner
@@maisielb1517not everyone eats Christmas dinner on Christmas. My family eats our dinner on Christmas Eve so no one has to work on Christmas in any fashion so it’s a holiday for all the family and we eat the leftovers
We're Canadian and Christmas crackers are 100% a must-have at dinner. My gran used to make her own and would always stick a five dollar bill inside.
I was going this as well. Maybe it was because my moms British, but I’m Canadian and we do this every year as well
I just made the same comment, I'm in Manitoba and an 80s baby. Even my Mom grew up with Christmas Crackers. ☺️
Also going around the table and everyone reading the awful dad joke that comes with said tissue crown and the kids fighting over the dollar store tchotchkes 🎉
We’re also Canadian, and this is a tradition we’ve had my entire life. I love the Costco ones with cute little knickknacks in them ❤️
Same, I didn't know Americans didn't do that! I'm always surprised when we've managed to retain some difference from our neighbour!
Kacie... You just made me understand the Christmas scene in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. I never understood why Arthur Weasley wore a crown until now. XD
What really!? That makes so much more sense lol
OHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!! I just completely glazed over that
It’s kinda crazy how many people don’t know about this tradition. It’s fun!!
@@howellaboutno9500 well, I'm not British, nor American... I think tradtitions vary greatly across Europe...
I totally forgot until this comment, holy cow!
We have these in Australia too. We get the ones with a paper crown and a bad joke to share with the table
Hello🇦🇺👍
The best crackers are the ones which have the paper crown, bad joke AND a silly toy/trinket. The leaping frog one is my fave
all the best memories. the woolies ones that your mum gets on special after christmas to have on new years are so good tho.
@@mariem5027 My favourite is the shitty fish that flops around lol
yess lol
As an American with a British grandma, we did these every year here in the states. It wasn’t until I was out of college that I realized no one else really does them.
Lol, same!
(not christmas related) is it true that you don't have hot water bottles either?
@@avacx like for pain? Most people have electric heating pads. My family does have the hot water bottles but I have Irish and British grandmas.
Same! Mom's side is from England and it never occurred to me until high school lol
@@avacx as an Australian ever winter you see advertisements for hot water bottles, weather bags# electric blankets (for both over and under you) and various electric heaters.
Though we don't get snow unless its in the mountains, the closest thing we have had recently was on the 22 of December (Summer here) and we had hail so thick that 20 minutes later the golf course near where we lived looked like it had snosit was so white.
The roads were then steaming from being hot previously.
The weather has been really f'ed up recently.
I was so excited when my Appalachian husband said that he also grew up with Christmas crackers every year. This is my first Christmas with my in-laws and my mother-in-law happily presented me a plate of saltines covered in chocolate and caramel. She said she made extra for me to take home because my husband said they were my favorite. Most adorable culture mixup I’ve ever been apart of!
Oh, that’s Christmas *crack* and it is the best! 😂 But yeah, sometimes we change the name because of the drug and sensitive relatives although the snack food predates drug. Welcome to our weirdness, in more ways that one.
The best ones are the Ritz crackers with peanut butter and chocolate but I'd never turn down the crack that is the saltiness with chocolate.
Us Irish would never miss out on doing crackers. So fun to see what silly wee trinket you get inside. 🎄🇮🇪
Agree, it's 27th and I have so many crowns lying around and hanging off the tree ☺️ as for those plastic spinny top things ? I'm finding those feckers everywhere and I don't remember anyone pulling even ONE out of the cracker 😆
The best thing for me it's groaning over the terrible joke in the cracker.
I feel I know every joke in circulation atm lol. I love crackers but the trinkets inside are getting worse and worse 😞
And the bad jokes are a must
I didn't realise it was just a British thing😅
its not only English.
it’s not just a british thing, they’re also in canada lol
It’s mostly a commonwealth thing
@@falling_awayyy aside from the Americans, everyone the Brits colonized got this tradition 😂
I think it's a rest of the world except America thing
American here. I grew up doing crackers every year for Xmas and new years. My Mom started making them herself and made 80 for my wedding in July a few years ago. It was such a hit. Inside were little magnetic people symbolizing connection. Update: My brother is making some today for us to open for the new year.
Do they make them with the proper gun powder snaps in them?
@@spa-town1937 Yeah, you can buy a 100 pack of the gunpowder snaps online. They use a pattern and cut out from wrapping paper since it's sturdy enough and comes in all sorts of fun patterns.
Which America?
I know it's more common in Canada, North America than it is in South or the lower North America continent.
@@thisistheaccountname North. USA. We're making more for Chinese New Year coming up soon!
As a Canadian, this is a classic at Christmas and New Years dinners. Ours also usually come with a little joke or riddle inside that everyone shares with the table
As a South African its not a properly set Christmas table without a cracker lol! It's one of the best things 😁
The sun never sets on the British empire and all that.
I was confused that she was confused
I live in Canada and one of my coworkers who was originally from England was flying down to see family for the holidays in Florida about 12 years ago. The TSA agent was really confused by the Christmas crackers but she didn't want to demonstrate it since it would make a small little explosion sound and she didn't want to be detained as a terrorist. She tried to explain it was a Christmas decoration with a little toy inside. The agent was so confused but eventually let her on the plane with them
Kiwi tradition too 😊 Merry Christmas ❤
This is also a Canadian tradition lol. I never realized how weird it is. 😂
I'm Canadian and love these. Sometimes I forget other ppl don't know what these are 🙃
Ahh same!
I’m in the southern US and Christmas crackers have been our family tradition for over 20 years! I figured everyone had them until I had friends come over a few times!
What?! I grew up in SC and never heard of these. What part of the south?
@@espem88 Kentucky
Born and raised in Alabama and I've never heard of it.
Thanks for the warning! 🤣 I'm also spending my first Christmas in the UK
Why a warning? your not going to explode or anything.....
“I love Christmas crackers”
Kacie: “what did you call me???”
That’s so cute! I would LOVE to participate in that party!🎉
Got our today..;) South African ❤ Blessed Christmas dear 🌷
Don't forget the weird dad jokes that are in them too! (Or is that just in our Norwegian party poppers 🤔)
I'm American but my mom did this as a nod to our ancestors customs in England every Christmas...there's little gifts inside too!
Plus little slips of paper that we call motto's....
Doing it because "ancestors," is weird mate
@@cait812 yeah it sounds so cringe to hear Americans talking about their ancestors culture when it’s just normal to us brits
Are people really gate keeping Christmas crackers
@@StinkyCatFarts Lol seriously... just reading through some of the comments on this video, it's clearly a tradition in many parts of the world... I've seen Britain, Ireland, Canada, South Africa, Australia, and parts of the U.S. and that was just briefly scrolling though. Clearly no one "owns" this tradition.. I've never understood gate keeping especially when it comes to something that clearly everyone seems to really enjoy and have fond memories of... like what, you don't want other people to have a little fun on their holiday too? I just don't get it, it's weird.
Oh! Some people from Europe came to our house, and they left one of those as a gift! Thanks for telling me what it was lol!
I definitely thought you were gonna pull out like an edible cracker or something 😅
Me too!
same😂
They’re called crackers because they used to stick in a tiny amount of gunpowder in them-they are firecrackers. Presumably they started taking out the gunpowder when they started getting rid of guns.
@@isaackellogg3493 they still "crack". There's a friction strip inside that makes a fairly loud bang when you pull them
@@hannahadlington9396 oh good. That seriously wasn’t clear from the video
I'm British and they really are the best traditions! I never knew until recently that we were the only people who have them! I genuinely thought it was a worldwide thing! The hat, the gift and the terrible joke inside brings everyone together! ❤️
I researched what they were after I had seen them in Harry Potter and I actually made some for my family a few years ago! Didn’t know the part about linking arms though :)
It’s not really linking arms, if you grab the cracker in your left hand, you pull it with the person to your right, so you cross your arms in front of you.
More often than not, people just turn to the nearest person and pull hard!
I'm English and I've never heard of the linking arms thing either lol
Yeah, no-one does the linking arms thing. British and can confirm.
I imagine small explosives going off in your hand when you're oblivious to what's going on would be rather alarming
They are my absolute favourite! Would not have it any other way! My table is already set with crackers! ❤❤🎄🎄🇨🇦🏴🇬🇧
LOL I had my husband watch. I have an English father and my husband 1st first generation Canadian with German parents. Your video was very relatable to him regarding his first Christmas with us...
We do them a lot in Australia, but we usually call them bon bons (though I’m sure people say crackers too).
Hi Amy, Merry Christmas.
They have always been Christmas crackers in our house. Growing up in WA.
@@clairec9742 Merry Christmas! See it makes sense to me that it would be that way, but I didn’t hear that until I was at least 16 myself. 😊 I kind of love how things vary state to state here (raised in both nth Qld and NSW), it can be like a different country sometimes!
As a Canadian these are really popular here! I’m surprised they haven’t made it to the US.
My aunt is from England and we did this when we were little with her. It was so funny seeing her and my uncle(not British) 24 hours later still wearing their crowns. I believe my uncle made it a week or something insane😂
I'm from Mexico but one of my aunt's lived in UK for several years and she used to bring those to celebrate Christmas, it's one of my favorite Christmas childhood memories
Not sure about elsewhere in Canada but in Manitoba growing up in the 80s we always had these. I am Dutch/Ukraine background but a lot of my city was European descendents/immigrants so that might have something to do with it.
Sending everyone good karma, I hope you all have a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year 😊💕🇨🇦
We've got them in Ontario, too! My paper crown shredded before I could put it on this year but the crackers themselves were so hard to pull apart that dinner nearly descended into chaos. No complaints here hahaha
when i read the part with the christmas crackers in goblet of fire i thought it was like crackers like saltines or triskets or something and then hats just came out when you broke them in half lmao😂 i only realized they weren’t edible JUST NOW
Girl, are you a professional actress? Your facial expressions are always so on point.
this is the same in new Zealand!!! every household has Christmas crackers
You never heard of Christmas Crackers in the US? it’s commonplace in Canada.
The US also wasn’t a colonel as long as you Canadians were.
I find these videos so adorable. Like not in a patronising way, it's just that something like that is so normal to me yet so strange to you guys
I saw this in mr bean, i.. well thank you for letting me know what it is
In Norway we have those as vell but with a note with weird jokes inside of them along the paper crown. We also usally have Them on a traditional cake called kransekake, which is usally served on our national day, confirmations or Christmas ✨️
Same! Here in Denmark we call it Kransekage, though!
Christmas crackers are honestly one of the best things about Christmas dinners, gives everyone something to enjoy together and is always full of comedy and drama
not me in america using these every year💀 i thought everyone did loll
Haha I’m American but we do this at my grandmothers house for Christmas! It’s really fun and I always try to trade someone for the tiny nail clippers then lose them anyway
My husband's family (Filipinos) introduced these to me at their Christmas party. Everyone was so excited for them. It startled me hearing over a dozen go off at once.
I only know about this tradition because of the Potter books! They always sounded so fun!! 🎉🎄❄️
They're not just a British thing, we have them in Canada as well.
Omg I just looked these up and they come in so many different patterns and colors and sizes and they’re so cute! I’d love to adopt this tradition but my family would probably think I’ve gone bonkers 🥲
I didn’t realize that this was a British thing. My family does this for many holidays and we have lived in the us for ten generations. Weird, but then again I was raised like I was in the 1950s
I remember seeing this on peppa pig when i was like 6😭
I work in a care home and yesterday on xmas we had staff asking what crackers were and what to do... they ended up loving them 😂😂
And honestly... the fact they have a mild explosive inside really scares people doing them the first time 😂😂
We ALWAYS have Christmas poppers/crackers! I’m an Italian in Canada and they are definitely a must in our family! 🎉
We always have these in Canada too.
I worked all Christmas weekend and soooo missed the fun of these at dinner with the family 😍🇨🇦
I never realised that Americans don't do this it isn't Christmas without a few crackers lol
I used the sims decoration on the table thinking it’s just pretty wrapped crackers. Or cookies or something.
I’m English and I thought that they were done everywhere this is very helpful for me as I have some American friends thx
It's interesting how this tradition exists in every Anglophone country besides the US. I was surprised to hear that Canadians and Australians do this too because this tradition is completely absent from American culture.
South African and LOVE this tradition! Not everyone does it here, but I've known it my whole life. Christmas isn't Christmas without it.
Omg same here in Australia. Especially when you get the little pieces of paper with jokes on them.
Christmas crackers are one of my favourite traditions to do. I find the paper crowns hard to wear as I have a small head though lol. the ones we had for Christmas this year were labeled after the different numbers from the 12 days of Christmas and looked so adorable!
This is done in Italy so much Italy think of Italy in Spain as copies of England and the USA literally carbon copies that's all they do this is been done in Italy for the last 45 years
I'm an American, and I wish we had these! They look so cute!
you also get a trinket or a joke! normal in canada too. tbh i think theyre wasteful but good to try once :)
I’m in Australia and if you don’t have those on the Xmas table you’re excommunicated. 🤷🏻♀️
These are very oddly familiar... i think i saw them in a kids show, Ben and Holly
Bonbons are such a classic for an Aussie Christmas!
we use these for christmas in the US too!
I had never heard of these before until I went to Canada to visit my friends for the holidays 😆
im canadian and christmas crackers are a must have for sure! (my favorite part is telling the jokes and acting out the little scenes inside)
They do that in Australia too, I can tell you, as a French person, I was SOOO CONFUSED 😂
My grandma always gets us these for Christmas, never realized that not everyone knew about it lol
They’re really common in Canada too! (At least they’re widely sold at stores, I only know my own extended family’s traditions😅)
They actually are one of my favourite parts of Christmas😊
I am danish and i love these so much, its very fun to do
I lived in England for a couple of years and this is one tradition that I brought back home with me.
Best part about them is the tiny gifts that go flying to never be seen again
I'm an American but we have some close family friends who are British. My great-grandmother used to have these at our family Christmas dinner. It was always a blast for the kids.
Never heard this before but that looks like a really fun tradition. Learnt something nice today apparently.
We do that here in Australia too! They even come with little papers with jokes on them!
I’m an American and I saw characters doing this in Doctor Who many years back - I was so confused 😂
I love this tradition!!
Got these in Australia too. If you visit a house near Christmas you will always find a box or two of these somewhere.
Well those are considered fireworks in some states and are illegal to purchase
Dude! Where's the toy and the jokes and the random trivia facts? Best part of the Christmas cracker!
A lot of families in Canada (or at least where I am) do Christmas Crackers. It's a cute tradition
saw this in Call the Midwife and picked up on it! So interesting as an American, had never even heard of Christmas crackers
I'm American and my family loves Christmas Crackers! Ours look like Nutcrackers so they're extra festive!
My family lives in America but we have Christmas crackers every year. It’s such a fun tradition.
The jokes are the best part
I do this every Christmas, they are a simple pleasure.
As an American, I learned about Christmas poppers through Neopets 😅
They looked like a lot of fun, and they still do!
WOAH I had no idea this wasn't a thing in some places!
I love the jokes in them.
Just learned about this! My husband grew up in England and when he bought these I really thought he was messing with me!
We do this in Canada, too! It's really fun. 😁👍
I've been doing this tradition forever! The only thing is, we do it for New Year's instead of Christmas. It's so fun :D
My mom is from Canada. Her family does this tradition too. I remember trading the toys and trinkets that come in them along with the crown with my cousins.
as an Aussie it's a must have
I had never seen christmas crackers until my first Christmas with my husbands family! I look forward to them every year now ☺️