What Christmas dinner would be complete without table crackers; surely not one sprout can be served until everyone is wearing a paper crown?
At the festive feasting table the humble Christmas cracker takes centre stage. Providing more than merely entertainment, with jokes and mini toys, crackers help to add a decorative touch the dining table. Choosing crackers comes down to two things, what they can add visually to enhance your table settings and also what little treasures are hiding inside.
Related: Christmas table decoration ideas that will set the scene for your festive feast
If you’re looking to add a touch of bling you can’t go far wrong with plain gold or silver, just enough to inject some seasonal sparkle. If you have little ones around the table then choosing a festive character will command their attention.
This year we have seen the introduction of crackers that bring the family together more, whether that be the generous sharing sized design or the gifts inside that help to unite everyone – such as the xylophone crackers.
Generally speaking all crackers come with paper hats and jokes as standard, with gifts varying from place to place. We’ve picked a real mixed bag of crackers this year to suit all tastes and budgets.
Best Christmas crackers
1. Best musical crackers – Amazon
You wouldn’t know just from looking at them but these crackers are filled with music. These fabulous crackers from Amazon contain all the elements you’ll need to play festive tunes on the xylophone – with eight xylophone blocks, eight knock rods and the all important conductor baton. Set of eight. All delightfully wrapped up in festive
Buy now: Musical Xylophone Christmas Crackers, £24.50, Amazon
2. Best chocolate crackers – Hotel Chocolat
Surely too tempting to leave until after dinner? The chocolate experts have after dinner treats covered with this set of ten crackers. With space on each box to write your guests names these will make an inviting place setting too.
Buy now: Mini Christmas Crackers, £17, Hotel Chocolat
3. Best luxury crackers – John Lewis
Come bearing the gift of gold with this box of 6 luxury Christmas crackers. Each cracker features a hat, snap, joke and a luxury mini gift. It’s lucky dip but each contains one of the following: Cookie Mould; Nail Clippers;Tape Measure; Bottle Opener; Magic Trick and Magnifying Glass.
Buy now: We Three Kings Luxury Christmas Crackers, NOW £8, John Lewis
4. Best alternative crackers – M&S
Jazz things up this year by choosing an unusual cracker design. This set of diamond shaped crackers makes a fabulous alternative to traditional shaped crackers, you simply hold the base and pull the string at the top to open. Inside you’ll find a hat, good quality gift, classic joke to entertain all. Set of six.
Buy now: Black & Gold Cone Diamond Christmas Crackers, £20, Marks & Spencer
5. Best Photo booth crackers – Not on the High Street
Proving hours of fun for all the family with these novelty ‘Selfie’ crackers. The set of six comes complete with assorted puzzles and games, the obligatory hats and six amusing masks to help create the perfect seasonal selfie – which in the social media savvy world we live in, is worth its weight in gold! Set of six.
Buy now: Christmas Photo Booth Crackers, £14, Postbox Party at Not on the High Street
6. Best kids crackers – Sainsbury’s
The twelve days of Christmas are captured with these beautifully illustrated crackers. Not the twelve days of Christmas as we know from the song, these crackers feature 12 alternative characters and festive favourites instead. The colours featured are broad enough for this set to be added to any table colour scheme, particularly gold. Set of 12.
Buy now: Christmas Family Crackers Set of 12, £4, Sainsbury’s
Related: The top trending gifts for Christmas 2018 revealed – are they on your wish list?
Make Christmas go off with a bang with any one of these crackers.
