{85}【英國聖誕小知識】Christmas Cracker 聖誕爆竹
細個睇Harry Potter, 見到第一集書中慶祝聖誕的情節，當中提到在吃聖誕大餐時會拉一個叫"wizard crackers 巫師爆竹"的東西。一開始我甚至以為是聖誕餅乾呢!因為"crackers"在英國是類似梳打餅的餅乾。 又曾以為是不是類似煙花爆竹之類的，真的會爆炸😅
直至來到英國，終於見到Christmas cracker 的真身了。是長形的紙包成糖的樣子，🎉食飯時和朋友各拉一方，會發出「卜」一聲，然後有些小禮物跌出來。當中還會包括一頂紙帽(paper hat) 、一個關於聖誕的笑話(christmas joke)｡
原來Christmas cracker 是由Tom Smith 在1847年「發明」的，直頭現在Tom Smith仍然是生產Christmas Cracker的領頭公司，甚至由1906年開始便取得"Royal Warrant for the supply of Christmas Crackers for the Royal Family"的皇家御用資格~
其實他一開始「發明」Christmas crackers 時，純粹是因為當他引入法國糖果"bon bon"sweet(用很漂亮的紙包著杏仁) 到英國的時銷情慘淡。直至有一日他看到火爐中的木頭因為燃燒而發出爆裂聲，便忽發奇想假如他的糖果和玩具裝在一個拉開時有爆裂聲響的漂亮包裝裡，應該會很有趣。
時至今日，Christmas crackers 基本伴隨每位英國人的聖誕餐碟。
有說Christmas crackers內的paper hat 是皇冠造型其實是象徵著聖經中東方來的博士 (Wise man)｡
The History of Christmas crackers
https://www.whychristmas.com/customs/crackers.shtml
BBC:Christmas crackers-the story (2:06)
https://youtu.be/Ndeg-cGN4vw
What are Christmas Crackers
https://youtu.be/ykp-_Eo486A
分享一段Harry Potter 的聖誕情節節錄：
"Harry had never in all his life had such a Christmas dinner. A hundred fat, roast turkeys; mountains of roast and boiled potatoes; platters of chipolatas; tureens of buttered peas, silver boats of thick, rich gravy and cranberry sauce -- and stacks of wizard crackers every few feet along the table. These fantastic party favors were nothing like the feeble Muggle ones the Dursleys usually bought, with their little plastic toys and their flimsy paper hats inside. Harry pulled a wizard cracker with Fred and it didn't just bang, it went off with a blast like a cannon and engulfed them all in a cloud of blue smoke, while from the inside exploded a rear admiral's hat and several live, white mice."
"When Harry finally left the table, he was laden down with a stack of things out of the crackers, including a pack of nonexplodable, luminous balloons, a Grow-Your-Own-Warts kit, and his own new wizard chess set. "
#christmascracker英國聖誕傳統
#大家試玩完覺得點呢
#其實真係擺出來靚一靚
#超豪華christmascracker講你都唔信入面的禮物係咩
#傳統依樣野都真係人造出來
