Then along came pre-formed 'fill it yourself' kits with everything included except the gift - we did that for a couple of years but it got harder to find small things to fit inside at a sensible price.
Then car-boot sales arrived and hooray................ a supply of new crackers at much reduced prices - available every summer!
I've got all these in the cupboard at the moment, all from boot sales. (I could have had more, lots of people clear them out every year - but there is a limit to how many Christmas crackers I have room to store!)
(A Grand total of 43!) Some will go with me to my SiL's on Christmas Day, they've got mini jigsaw puzzles in them; the Modelling balloon ones that I got recently will be saved until the grandchildren are old enough to enjoy them, the small ones are to decorate the hampers for the next few years and the other lot will be for when I have visitors here.
Then I can start searching again next year.
Did anyone catch a TV programme about a company that makes crackers - including the very extravagant ones for Fortnum and Mason, and Harrods? A F&M Hamper of crackers containing vouchers for posh events costs £5,000..........For the person who has everything?
Although if you are on a budget you could get some from them for just £45!
It always surprises me that Christmas Crackers have never really taken off as a tradition in the US. You'd think they would have made it across the Atlantic in the same way all the Halloween stuff crossed to us here. I'm sure there's a fortune to be made by someone.
Thank you for comments yesterday, seems I'm not the only one to fail with Poinsettias.
So sorry to read that Tanya of Sowing and Growing blog has passed away. Once again cancer takes someone much too young.
Back Tomorrow
Sue
I have to say, when things were tight financially we gave up on Crackers at Christmas and never really got back into the swing of them again, but this year Tam produced a box so we will have those. You have the right idea, picking them up for a song at Car Boot Sales.
ReplyDeleteSo sad about Tanya. I know of her from the Green Living Forum which I used to belong to.
I've never yet not found any at boot sales. The daft jokes are so much part of Christmas.
DeleteTanya was even younger than Colin..........so sad
I've always bought them new from M & S but strangely a few weeks ago I was in a charity shop and saw some unopened ones with things in I was sure the grandchildren would like for just a couple of pounds (I'm sure they cost at least 5 times that when originally purchased). I like the whole thing of wearing the silly hats and the jokes from them. All part of Christmas for me. That said I don't remember having them as a child (an unnecessary expense for my parents no doubt) and I didn't miss them.
ReplyDeleteI think we always had crackers - they had the same things in them back then like the Fortune Fish and two dice.
DeleteHats and jokes are a must for Christmas Lunch!
I got a few boxes of 12 crackers in a sale at WHSmith a few years ago. The boxes were slightly battered when I bought them and were a bit more battered storing them when we used the last box. Since then it has become something of a tradition that we provide the crackers for Christmas day at my daughter's.
ReplyDeleteIt was very sad to read about Tanya.
January sales are best for Christmas stuff if there are no boot-sales.
DeleteHope you have some good ones for this year
Norwich used to be the cracker capital of the world with Tom Smith's Cracker factory.
ReplyDeleteI didn't catch where the factory was on the programme.The Fortnum and Masons and Harrods crackers were very posh but what a price!
DeleteWe made crackers in Norwich for 100 years, so some of your car book stock may even have Made in Norwich or Tom Smiths written on them. The factory closed in the late 90s on its 100th anniversary.
DeleteI bought some Tom Smith crackers once and the little gifts inside were much better than other crackers. It's a shame they closed.
DeleteI always get some crackers but seem to miss them in the January sales. They have to be red and gold but apart from that, whatever I like the look of. I only use them for Christmas day so this year only needed a small box.
ReplyDeletexx
I remember way back to the 60's when one year we had some with Wade Whimsies - they must have been an unusual extravagant expense for our house.
DeleteChristmas crackers have made it across to America and they are so taken with them that they now do crackers for all occasions: Easter, Valentines, Hallowe'en, birthdays etc.
ReplyDeleteI do not do bought crackers any longer because of the issues with plastic.
I didn't know that, when I've mentioned crackers before people in the States didn't know what they were.
DeleteI got some small Easter Crackers......... from a car boot - of course.....for next years egg hunt.
Don't know why we don't do the crackers here!
ReplyDeleteMust be some places and not others as Deborah in the comment above says they have crossed the Pond!
DeleteI do like to pull crackers, but I have stopped buying them now, even from car boot sales, I leave them there for people who really want them. Too much plastic and bits and bobs that really are not useful. Your idea of filling each with a gift that suits the person pulling it is something I used to do, but now I don't even do that.
ReplyDeleteI think we used up the last of our stash a couple of years ago and they have never been replaced.
I meant to add I was so sorry to hear of Tanya's passing, another lovely person taken far too young :-(
DeleteWith grandchildren growing up I can't see our family stopping the crackers anytime!
DeleteI wish Christmas Crackers were more popular here in the US. I found some last year for the first time and our family really enjoyed them. I have not seen them this year so I will look online. I'd love to make them a tradition.
ReplyDeleteHope you find some in time
DeleteI love Christmas crackers and our family does them here, too. (It was a little hard to get the boys to participate!) But it's such fun to pull them!
ReplyDeleteThe silly jokes and paper hats are always part of Christmas here
DeleteThey haven't really taken off in Western Canada either. I can remember Mon buying them occasionally.
ReplyDeleteGod bless.
Why on Earth would someone sell full boxes of crackers...I can understand an odd one or two?
ReplyDeleteBecause we came from England we always had crackers here. When introducing them to Canadians they loved them. I still buy them, after Christmas, and take them to wherever we will be on Christmas day. We've always been able to get them in Alberta.
ReplyDeleteWe've always had them here in Toronto so they definitely made it over the Atlantic - we are the North American continent with 3 countries - not just one. Not trying to be snarky - just that we Canadians get a wee bit tired of being lumped in with Americans.
ReplyDeleteI always buy some new ones each year - and since I usually have leftovers have ended up with quite a collection. I'll take a few along to a couple of the dinners I'm going to this year.
I thought US meant United States which is what I said rather than North America which I know includes Canada.
DeleteAnd I;m glad you have crackers there