Crackers have been part of the traditional Christmas meal since the 1900s and generations of children have worn fake moustaches, told their fortune with a cellophane fish or even won a tiny pack of playing cards.

Christmas crackers were first created by a London sweet maker called Tom Smith. He had seen French sweets wrapped in pretty paper on a visit to Paris in 1840. He came back to London and tried selling sweets like that in England and also included a small motto or riddle. Then in 1861 they really took off when he added the small fireworks which created the famous bang when the cracker was pulled apart.

However their popularity may be waning as concern about the environment, and the wasteful nature of the cracker, especially the single use plastic most of the content consists of, increases.

And a restaurant in Ross-on-Wye is warning customers who book for festive meals that they will not be including crackers, instead No3 restaurant will be serving their own homemade white chocolate & cranberry fudge instead of crackers for anyone dining off the Christmas Menu.?