Mince pies [Photo/IC]

UK: Christmas cracker, mince pie

The Christmas cracker is part of the Christmas celebrations in the UK. A cracker, in the shape of a large fruit candy, consists of a cardboard tube wrapped in a twist of paper with a prize inside. It is pulled by two people and will make a mild "bang" sound when split apart. The person holding the center chamber of the cracker will get a prize inside, which may be a little toy, or a joke or riddle written on a piece of paper.

Another tradition is the mince pie, which was originally filled with meat rather than the dried fruit mix we see today. They were first made in an oval shape to represent the manger Jesus slept in as a baby, and the top of the pie represents Jesus' swaddling clothes. Nowadays, the mince pie is always round and can be eaten hot or cold.