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"How much did Father Christmas's sleigh cost? Nothing, it was on the house."

This joke is met by moans that resonate through a storage facility in London.

This describes a humor-evaluation meeting with a firm that produces supplies for gatherings. Its catalogue includes Christmas crackers.

The company's owner grins, almost apologetically at the gag. But the joke has made the cut and will feature in future crackers.

"The success is gauged by the joke by the number of groans and the intensity of the groans at the table," she says.

The secret to a good Christmas cracker pun is not the same as a stand-up gag in itself. It is entirely about the setting - in this instance, the communal laughter of the Christmas dinner table with grandparents, children and possibly neighbours.

"You want the gag to be a thing that unites the child together with the 80-year-old," she states.

The Neuroscience Behind Communal Amusement

Coming together to experience shared amusement is not only nothing new, experts argue, it is probably to be older than humanity.

"Therefore when you are chuckling with people around the Christmas dinner you are engaging in what's very likely a truly ancient mammalian social vocalisation," says a professor.

Communal amusement, she explains, aids in forge and strengthen social bonds between people.

Researchers have found that a lack of such social exchanges can seriously damage both psychological and bodily well-being.

"The people you talk to, and share laughter with, it leads to increased amounts of endorphin uptake," the professor continues.

Endorphins are the body's "feel-good compounds" and are released both to reduce stress and pain and in response to enjoyable activities, such as chuckling with friends over a truly terrible festive cracker joke.

"You're not just chuckling at a foolish pun with a Christmas cracker," she states. "You are actually doing a lot of the really important task of building, preserving the social bonds you have with those you care about."

What Happens Inside the Brain?

But what is truly taking place inside the mind when we listen to a joke?

A tremendous amount occurs in response to comedy, it transpires.

Employing brain scanning technology, a kind of brain scanner which indicates which areas of the mind are working harder, researchers have been able to chart the areas that get more blood flow.

Testing involves imaging the brains of healthy subjects and then exposing them to a database of humorous words, accompanied by either a neutral sound, or pre-recorded chuckles.

"During the study we observed a really fascinating activation pattern of activation," notes the professor.

A gag activates not just the areas of the mind responsible for hearing and understanding speech, but also brain regions involved in both preparation and starting movement and those involved in sight and memory.

Combine these elements as a whole, and people listening to a pun have a sophisticated series of brain responses that underpin the laughter we experience.

The Infectious Power of Laughter

Scientists discovered that when a humorous word is combined with laughter there is a stronger response in the mind than the same phrase when accompanied by a non-emotional sound.

"This activation occurred in parts of the mind that you would employ to move your expression into a smile or a laugh," she explains.

It indicates we are not just reacting to humorous words, they are responding to the laughter that accompanies them.

Laughter, says the expert, can be contagious.

So what does this mean for the chuckles found around a holiday table?

"You laugh more when you are familiar with others," she says, "and you laugh further when you are fond of them or care for them."

When it comes to Christmas cracker jokes, she explains, the feel-good effect is more likely to be triggered not by the joke itself, but from the reaction to it.

"It's the laughter. The gag is the terrible holiday cracker pun, and it's just a reason to chuckle together."

The Search for the Perfect Cracker Joke

Will we ever discover the perfect gag?

Likely not, but that has not prevented experts from trying to.

Years ago, a professor set up a scientific search for the planet's funniest joke.

Over 40,000 gags later, with scores provided by 350,000 people globally, he has a clearer understanding than most as to what succeeds and what does not.

The ideal Christmas cracker joke must be brief, he explains.

"They must also need to be poor jokes, jokes that cause us to moan," he adds.

The increasingly "terrible" the gag, he says the better.

"This is because if no-one finds it funny – it's the joke's fault, not yours.

"The fascinating part about the holiday cracker jokes is that none of us considers them humorous.

"It creates a shared moment at the gathering and I think it's wonderful."