Christmas Crackers

[Rustyt1953]

My mom (82) has kept this simple English tradition her entire life.

Christmas eve, the clan gathers around her to celebrate. When it is 7 o'clock here, it is midnight in England. At 6:50, she hands out the "crackers" which contain small toys, candy and a paper party hat.

On her command we all pull the crackers and put on our party hats. Once adorned, we raise our glasses and toast each other at the stroke of 7. We all hug and kiss each other.

At 7:10 the phone rings. It is our relatives in England calling to wish us Merry Christmas. For the next half hour, mom cries, laughs, and cries some more over the phone.

No Christmas icon or image floods me with emotion as does seeing the Christmas Cracker. I wish I could send them to all of you.

A heartfelt "Merry Christmas" to you all.

 

[g-dad]

What a great tradition!! And a very Merry Christmas to you and yours.

 

[arjay]

We do the same thing [emoji2]
Moms a Scot (83)

 

[bigwheelzip]

Thanks for sharing Rusty.

Reminds me of the many sweet traditions I witnessed as a Christmas guest, with a small Swiss farming village family. Helps to re-align life's priorities.

Merry Christmas.

 

[judge]

Thanks Rusty, that meant a lot to me. Merry Christmas!!

 

[SW MP15]

That Is Special!

I Hope You Get To Share Many Many More Christmas Memories And Traditions With Your Mom, In Years To Come!

Merry Christmas To You And Your Entire Family!

P.S. THANKS for your posts. I have enjoyed them this year and they have brightened my day many times with the silly photos!

 

[vytoland]

my wife is British....every year at christmas time we have toad in the hole, christmas pudding and pull our crackers.....CHEERS!!!

 

[soFlaNative]

My wife's best friend is English and they celebrated with each other's families on Christmas.
Mrs. N. keeps the cracker tradition in our family to this day as we don the paper crowns and read the awful jokes.

 

[the ringo kid]

Coming from you, I figgered I'd better read more than just the title just to be sure what you meant?

I never heard of that tradition but, its a nice one.

 

[Delta Expatriate]

I was not familiar with that tradition either. But a few years ago a pretty lady in my Sunday School class prepared and brought crackers to our class Christmas party, and has brought them since. She spent part of her childhood in England while her father (Air Force) was stationed there, and brought the tradition back with her. So now I am familiar with the paper crowns and the terrible jokes.

 

[joeintexas]

Nice tradition Rusty. Coming from you though I thought Christmas Crackers meant you were inviting a bunch of us old white folks over at 7 on the 25th. Merry Christmas to all!!

 

[DeathGrip]

Hey Rusty,

 

[moosedog]

I love to hear about a family that has a tradition it keeps like yours.
Ours is to have my brother in law or sister in law start complaining prior to getting together until it's to the point that we are just glad to get it over with.

 

[Rustyt1953]

Bump for mum.