Editing Christmas cracker (section)

==History==
The ''[[Oxford English Dictionary]]'' records the pulling of ''crackers'' from 1847.<ref>[http://www.oed.com/view/Entry/43642#eid7942684 OED, Second edition] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221122093914/https://www.oed.com/start;jsessionid=DC3F0199670FA225AE6B160547DA176B?authRejection=true&url=%2Fview%2FEntry%2F43642#eid7942684 |date=22 November 2022 }}, 1989; online version November 2010.. Retrieved 23 December 2010. Earlier version first published in New English Dictionary, 1893.</ref>

=== Tom Smith ===
[[File:Tom Smith Christmas crackers 1911.jpg|thumb|right|Catalogue for [[Tom Smith (confectioner)|Tom Smith]]'s Christmas Novelties from 1911]]
Tradition tells of how [[Tom Smith (confectioner)|Tom Smith]] (1823–1869) of [[London]] invented crackers in 1847.<ref>Peter Kimpton (2005) ''Tom Smith's Christmas crackers: an illustrated history'', Tempus  {{ISBN|0-7524-3164-1}}</ref><ref>Margaret Baker (1992) ''Discovering Christmas customs and folklore: a guide to seasonal rites'', p.72, Osprey Publishing {{ISBN|0-7478-0175-4}}</ref> He created the crackers as a development of his [[bon-bon]] sweets, which he sold in a twist of paper (the origins of the traditional sweet-wrapper). As sales of bon-bons slumped, Smith began to come up with new promotional ideas. His first tactic was to insert love messages into the wrappers of the [[confectionery|sweet]]s (similar to [[fortune cookie]]s).<ref name="fletcher">{{cite news |title=Christmas traditions: The history behind crackers, mistletoe, turkey, stockings, tinsel, mince pies and more |last=Fletcher |first=Damien |newspaper=Daily Mirror |date=22 December 2011 |access-date=25 December 2012 |url=https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/christmas-traditions-the-history-behind-crackers-187443}}</ref>

Smith was inspired to add a "crackle" element after hearing the crackle of a [[logging|log]] he had just put on a fire.<ref name="fletcher" /><ref name=tscrackers>{{cite web|title=History of the Christmas Cracker|url=http://www.tomsmithcrackers.co.uk/|work=History|publisher=Tom Smith Crackers|access-date=25 December 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130827125125/http://www.tomsmithcrackers.co.uk/|archive-date=27 August 2013|url-status=dead}}</ref> The size of the paper wrapper had to be increased to incorporate the banger mechanism, and the sweet itself was eventually dropped, to be replaced by a [[wikt:trinket|trinket]]: fans, jewellery and other substantial items.<ref name=Callow>{{cite book|last=Callow|first=Simon|title=Dickens' Christmas|year=2009|publisher=Frances Lincoln|location=London|isbn=978-0711230316|pages=138|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=fFtX209ghqUC&pg=PA138}}{{Dead link|date=December 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> The new product was initially marketed as the ''Cosaque'' (French for [[Cossack]]),<ref name=Callow /> but the [[onomatopoeia|onomatopoeic]] "cracker" soon became the commonly used name, as rival varieties came on the market.

The other elements of the modern cracker—the gifts, paper hats and varied designs—were all introduced by Tom Smith's son, Walter Smith, to differentiate his product from the rival cracker manufacturers which had suddenly sprung up.<ref name=tscrackers />

Tom Smith & Company merged with Caley Crackers in 1953.

A memorial water fountain to Tom Smith and his family stands in [[Finsbury Square]], London.<ref name=londonist_2012>[http://londonist.com/2012/12/london-christmas-past-the-invention-of-the-christmas-cracker.php "London Christmas Past: The Invention Of The Christmas Cracker"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131219003359/http://londonist.com/2012/12/london-christmas-past-the-invention-of-the-christmas-cracker.php |date=19 December 2013 }} (5 December 2012) Londonist</ref><ref name=londonist_2014>[http://londonist.com/2014/12/how-finsbury-square-gave-the-world-a-christmas-tradition.php "How Finsbury Square Gave The World A Christmas Tradition"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150324065446/http://londonist.com/2014/12/how-finsbury-square-gave-the-world-a-christmas-tradition.php |date=24 March 2015 }} (5 December 2014) Londonist</ref>

=== Art ===
[[File:The-party-favour-1919.jpg|thumb|Norman Rockwell (1919)]]
A Christmas cracker is the subject of ''The Party Favor'', an oil painting by American artist [[Norman Rockwell]].
<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.wikiart.org/en/norman-rockwell/the-party-favour-1919|title=Wikiart.org, Norman Rockwell, The Party Favor|website=Wikiart.org, Visual Art Encyclopedia|access-date=20 December 2018}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.artrenewal.org/Artwork/Index/3346|title=The Party Favor|website=ARC (Art Renewal Center)|access-date=20 December 2018}}</ref> The painting appeared as cover art for ''[[The Saturday Evening Post]]'' on 26 April 1919.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.best-norman-rockwell-art.com/norman-rockwell-saturday-evening-post-cover-1919-04-26-the-party-favor.html|title=Saturday Evening Post cover, April 26, 1919|date=20 December 2018|website=Best Norman Rockwell Art|access-date=20 December 2018}}</ref>

=== Records ===
The World's Largest Christmas Cracker was measured at 63.1 m (207 ft) long and 4 m (13 ft) in diameter and was made by the parents of children at Ley Hill School and Pre-School, Chesham, Buckinghamshire, UK on 20 December 2001.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/largest-christmas-cracker- |title=Guinness World Records; online version. |work=Guinness World Records |access-date=6 October 2023 |archive-date=15 June 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230615230137/https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/largest-christmas-cracker- |url-status=live }}</ref>

The longest Christmas cracker pulling chain consisted of 1081 people and was achieved by [[The Harrodian School]] in London on 10 December 2015.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/4000/longest-christmas-cracker-pulling-chain |title=Guinness World Records; online version. |access-date=7 November 2013 |archive-date=11 November 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131111172315/http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/4000/longest-christmas-cracker-pulling-chain |url-status=live }}</ref>

On 17 August 2020, while filming a Christmas episode of the television series ''[[QI]]'', British comedian [[Alan Davies]] set a [[Guinness World Record]] for the most crackers pulled by an individual in 30 seconds. He achieved 35 successful cracks, outscoring fellow panelist [[Justin Moorhouse]] by five in a head-to-head competition.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Most Christmas crackers pulled by an individual in 30 seconds|url=https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/497093-most-christmas-crackers-pulled-by-an-individual-in-30-seconds|access-date=23 May 2021|website=Guinness World Records|language=en-GB}}</ref> Davies' record stood until Joel Corry achieved 41 successful cracks at Capital's [[Jingle Bell Ball]] on 12 December 2021.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Most Christmas crackers pulled by an individual in 30 seconds |url=https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/497093-most-christmas-crackers-pulled-by-an-individual-in-30-seconds |access-date=18 February 2022 |website=Guinness World Records |language=en-GB |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201228040920/https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/497093-most-christmas-crackers-pulled-by-an-individual-in-30-seconds |archive-date=28 December 2020 |url-status=dead}}</ref>