What do people in the UK traditionally wear on their heads after pulling Christmas crackers? Paper crowns.
A Christmas cracker is a decorated cardboard tube wrapped in twisted paper. Two people pull it apart, producing a small snapping sound and revealing a trinket, a joke or motto, and a brightly colored paper crown. Diners commonly put the crowns on immediately, making them a familiar part of a British Christmas meal.
The cracker tradition is associated with London confectioner Tom Smith, who developed the product in the 1840s from wrapped sweets. The crackle mechanism was added after Smith was reportedly inspired by the sound of a log snapping on a fire. His son Walter later helped introduce the paper hats and other features that became standard.
The crowns are shaped like simple crowns rather than tiaras, and they are usually made from tissue paper, so they are festive but deliberately flimsy. Christmas crackers are also popular in Ireland and several Commonwealth countries, including Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and South Africa.