Christmas crackers are festive gifts that make a snapping sound when opened. They are
part of Christmas celebrations
in the United Kingdom, Ireland, and Commonwealth countries such as Australia (where they are sometimes known as bon-bons), Canada, New Zealand and South Africa.
A cracker consists of a segmented cardboard tube
wrapped in a brightly decorated twist of paper with a prize in the middle, making
it resemble an oversized sweet-wrapper. The cracker is pulled apart by two people, each holding an outer
chamber, causing the cracker to split unevenly and leaving one person holding
the central chamber and prize. The split is accompanied by a mild bang or
snapping sound produced by the effect of friction on a shock-sensitive,
chemically impregnated card strip (similar to that used in a cap gun). One
chemical used for the friction strip is silver fulminate.
Assembled crackers are typically sold in boxes of
three to twelve. These typically have different designs usually with red,
green, and gold colours. Making crackers from scratch using tissue paper and
the tubes from toilet rolls is a common activity
