Cheap and cheerful is the only way to describe them, the Christmas crackers usually found on most festive dinner tables.

There's something eminently satisfying standing back and admiring a well-planned feast of festive cheer. Every year, more and more work seems to go into it.

But the crackers. Who thinks too much about the crackers? They're almost an afterthought, a requirement, a last-minute reflex action as you pass by and grab the nearest box from a huge stack of them at the local supermarket. You could do a lot better.

No one is saying spend a fortune, just a few extra quid, on some up-market, luxury crackers, and then stand by for all the oohs and aahs. They'll turn a great Christmas spread into something just a little bit extra special, adding a splash of sparkling colour and magic to the proceedings. And they'll be a real talking point, too, not only with the kids!

Santa Claus has been portrayed as everything, from an elf to a tall gaunt man. He has worn a Norse huntsman’s animal skin and a bishop's robe. The modern-day Santa is a blend of a variety of stories from different countries.

Santa Claus is usually represented as a jolly, plump, white-bearded man wearing white-cuffed red trousers, a thick red coat with white cuffs and collar, white gloves, heavy-duty black leather belt and boots. There are regional differences in the costumes that Santa wears. In the United States, he wears a velvet jacket or a fleece and pants with a belt, matching fur trimmed boots and hat. In some European countries, he wears a long red robe with a hood.

Santa Claus cannot be thought without his reindeer and elves. Although, Santa is known for distributing gifts to children, it is Santa’s team of reindeer that pull his sleigh and help him deliver the Christmas gifts and the elves who make toy. Even though the reindeer and elves are thought to be fictitious, they are very popular with the kids.

Reindeer

Santa’s team of reindeer was first mentioned in the 1823 poem ‘A visit from St. Nicholas’.

More rapid than eagles his coursers they came,
And he whistled, and shouted, and call'd them by name;