Christmas dinner wouldn’t be the same without a cracker to pull. But gone are the days when you’d inevitably come away with a throw-away thimble or plastic comb. Today’s crackers are as varied as advent calendars, with contents ranging from seasonal liqueurs to musical games and treats. You can still usually count on getting the touch-it-and-it-rips paper crown and terrible dad-joke as well, but that’s all part of the festive fun. Here’s our pick of the best.
How much do you need to spend?
You can pay as much or as little, as you wish. Poundland sell boxes of Christmas crackers for pocket-money prices; at the other end of the scale, luxury company VeryFirstTo launched a Christmas cracker set back in 2014 that cost a whopping £4 million and contained prizes such as a Cartier necklace, keys to an Aston Martin and the key fob to a yacht. Needless to say there were no jokes inside.
Can I get crackers themed towards my guests’ interests?
You certainly can. If you’re not into the likes of tape measures and dice as prizes, you can get crackers with gifts based on a variety of themes, including booze, beauty, chocolate and musical games.
Can I get crackers to match my Christmas colour scheme?
Absolutely – with a bit of shopping around there’s pretty much no colour or design you won’t be able to find, to complement your table dressing and make a bold festive statement. If you’re after an unusual look, however, you might need to compromise on the contents, so decide which is more important to you.
What else should I look out for?
Check the size of your crackers before you part with your dosh, particularly if you’re buying online: it’s easy to think you’ve found the bargain of the century, only to discover you’ve ordered a box of weedy mini-crackers. Check how many crackers are in the box too, and take into account whether you might want to have crackers at more than one meal. If you want a more luxurious look, go for thicker card – but if you’re opting for luxury, don’t forget the kids, as they may not be delighted with upmarket prizes like hand-mirrors or champagne truffles.
The best Christmas crackers to buy
1. Drinks by the Dram Whisky Crackers: Best for adults who enjoy a tipple
Price:£45 – Buy Now
Whisky has long been a popular tipple on Christmas Day, and these smart brown and gold crackers are likely to put an extra-big smile on your guests’ faces, as each contains a different 3cl dram, plus a party hat and joke. With the likes of Jim Beam Double Oak, Roe & Co Irish Whisky and Port Askaig all represented, no one’s likely to be disappointed – although if you have really discerning guests, there’s a premium set available for an extra twenty-five quid, as well as gin and liqueur versions. If six isn’t the right number, you can also buy them singly from about a fiver upwards. It’s a bit of a shame that the text on each cracker gives away the contents – we’ve have preferred a surprise – but at least it means the kids won’t wind up with one by mistake. Just don’t let Grandma get too sozzled before she’s even tucked into the turkey.
Key details – Quantity: Six; Price per cracker:£7.49
2. The Dog Trust Purple Golden Paws Crackers: Best for pet lovers
Price:£13 – Buy Now
There’s no shortage of charity crackers available this year, and we’re all in favour as it’s a great way of giving at Christmas time. Our favourites for this year are these purple ones, not only because of the cute gold paw prints and matching ribbon, but each one contains a delightful dog fridge magnet, plus of course the usual hat and traditional terrible riddle. The magnets aren’t top quality, but they do the job, and you’re contributing to a worthy cause.
Key details – Quantity: Six; Price per cracker:£2.17
3. Not On The High Street Red Heart White Christmas Crackers: Best for eco-warriors
Price:£35 – Buy Now
If you consider Christmas crackers a bit wasteful – and rue the way that their contents invariably get chucked in the bin as soon as dinner is over – these could be the crackers for you. They’re made from 100% recycled material, and are both hand-printed and hand-made to give your Christmas table a stylish edge. The prizes are novel too: yuletide badges with names such as “Head Elf”’ “Bah Humbug” and “I love Mince Pies.” Even the box is recycled, so there’s absolutely no need to worry about harming the environment – provided you recycle them all again, that is.
Key details – Quantity: Six; Price per cracker:£5.84
4. John Lewis Folklore Cranberry Fill Your Own Christmas Crackers: Best DIY crackers
Price:£7 – Buy Now
Why settle for mass-produced trinkets when you can source your own prizes? This set includes beautiful pre-shaped cardboard shells, along with hats, snaps, mottos and red and green ribbons – so you just have to fill and assemble them, which is fantastically simple. It’s not the cheapest set of DIY crackers, but the luxury finish makes it worth the extra dosh. Now all you need to do is come up with the perfect contents – perhaps a personalised keyring, a meaningful toy or a beautiful item of jewellery? The choice is yours.
Key details – Quantity: Six; Price per cracker:£1.17
5. Bluebird Tea Company Tea Christmas Crackers: Best for tea-lovers
Price:£20 – Buy Now
Most people like a decent cuppa, so this set of crackers is a pretty safe bet for Christmas Day. Each contains a luxury silk tea bag, and we’re not talking Tetley: this is top-drawer, award-winning tea including festive flavours such as Earl Grey crème, mulled wine (which is nicer than you’d expect) and Mrs Claus’ raspberry Prosecco. It’s a shame the manufacturer felt the need to plaster its brand name all over the exterior, but these straight-edged crackers in blue and silver still manage to look super-smart. And no, they haven’t forgotten the hats and (tea-related, of course) jokes. Tea-riffic.
Key details – Quantity: Six; Price per cracker:£3.34
6. Hotel Chocolat Rather Large Cracker: A cracker for all the family to share
Price:£36 – Buy Now
Not enough space on the table for individual crackers? Here’s the perfect solution – one massive cracker for the whole family to enjoy. Containing 40 decadent chocolates plus 12 good-quality hats and jokes, it makes for a fun, alternative centrepiece. Flavours include billionaire’s shortbread, caramel praline, champagne truffles and (for the kids) snowman and reindeer-shaped chocolates, all of them made to Hotel Chocolat’s usual high standards. It arrives exceptionally well-packaged, so nothing gets damaged, and it makes a nice gift too.
Key details – Quantity: One; Price per cracker:£36
7. John Lewis Tourism London Map Christmas Crackers: Best for overseas visitors
Price:£12 – Buy Now
If you’ve got friends or family coming from overseas (or you’re going to them), why not welcome them with these crackers showcasing the iconic landmarks of the capital? The charming selection of images includes townhouses, the Queen’s guards, a double-decker bus, Big Ben and so forth. They look fabulous against any colour-schemed Christmas table and contain the usual hat and motto. The prizes might not set the world on fire – think shoe-horns and bottle-openers – but hey, they’re nearly all useful.
Key details – Quantity: Six; Price per cracker:£2
8. Marks & Spencer Arctic Animal Crackers: Best bumper pack
Price:£15 – Buy Now
Kids and adults alike will love these delightfully decorated crackers featuring two different snowy scenes – one with various animals in the snow; the other with polar bears in the forest. And with twelve crackers in a pack, you can probably get away with buying just one box, even if all the rellies are descending on you. Gifts include mini-screwdrivers, nail clippers, playing cards, measuring spoons, dominoes and key rings – plus of course the traditional hat and joke. And as if that’s not enough, they throw in a charade too. Hours of fun.
Key details – Quantity: 12; Price per cracker:£1.25
9. Lakeland Symphony Musical Crackers: Most hilarious group activity
Price:£15 – Buy Now
Each of these musically-decorated crackers contains an individually numbered whistle, tuned to a particular note. Once they’ve all been pulled, you can get yourself a conductor, give them the included baton and music sheet and get playing. After a bit of practice, you’ll have Good King Wenceslas down to a tee. Hats and number sticks are included too, and while there are no jokes, the music-making will give you plenty of laughs. With 16 tunes in total, you’ll be whistling through to Boxing Day.
Key details – Quantity: Eight; Price per cracker:£1.88
10. Sainsbury’s Christmas Racing Game Crackers: Best Christmas crackers for kids
Price:£7 – Buy now
The contents of these blue and red cracker are far superior to the usual tacky toys – each one contains a little wind-up Santa, which kids can race on the North Pole-themed racetrack board that’s included. Great for a bit of healthy competition (and to beat those smug cousins), it will keep the younger ones happy throughout the whole meal if you’re lucky. You still get the hats and jokes too.
Key details – Quantity: Six; Price per cracker:£1.17