Crackers

Cracker. As in "firecracker." Not the edible resting place for cheese.

Party crackers are popular in Ireland and the UK, often a part of Christmas, New Year's, weddings and birthday celebrations.

From Wikipedia: "A cracker consists of a cardboard tube wrapped in a brightly decorated twist of paper, making it resemble an over-sized sweet-wrapper. The cracker is pulled by two people, and, much in the manner of a wishbone, the cracker splits unevenly. The split is accompanied by a small bang produced by the effect of friction on a chemically impregnated card strip (similar to that used in a cap gun). The person with the larger portion of cracker empties the contents from the tube and keeps them. Typically these contents are a coloured paper hat or crown; a small toy or other trinket and a motto, a joke or piece of trivia on a small strip of paper."

I had my first cracker last night at a party, and inside were: gold paper crown, Butler's Chocolates (Irish Creme), and a piece of paper with two jokes on it. Reminds me of a fortune cookie at an American Chinese restaurant, only much better. These crackers are great fun as we went around the table with pairs of people competing for the larger portion when they pull the cracker and hear the pop, and then the winners donning the crowns...