A vendor works on a Christmas star lantern, locally known as parol, at a street market in Quezon City, Metro Manila, Philippines on November 29, 2023. (Photo by Eloisa Lopez/Reuters)

English television personality Georgia Harrison is seen attending House of CB Christmas Party at Old Sessions House on November 29, 2023 in London, England. (Photo by Ricky Vigil M/Justin E Palmer/GC Images)

Full-length portrait of happy girls wears high heel shoes dancing at party under confetti. Indoor photo of funny ladies chilling at home during christmas celebration and drinking champagne. (Photo by Look Studio/Shutterstock)

A diver dressed in a Santa Claus costume swims with a penguin at Sunshine Aquarium during preparations for the upcoming Christmas special event in Tokyo on December 1, 2025. (Photo by Kazuhiro Nogi/AFP via Getty Images)

If we were to burn NH4Cr2O7 with HgSCN in the Dark Ages in Europe and show it to anyone, it is us who would be burning next on a fiery cross of Inquisition. And it’s no wonder, since this experiment produces a truly marvelous result. At first, as you ignite the mixture of NH4Cr2O7 and HgSCN, all you can see is that it is slowly burning with a reddish flame. After a while, however, a crater is formed in the middle of the burning pile, and then, suddenly, tentacle-like appendages start sprouting from the burning mixture. And you can almost hear the scream of the mad occultist – “Come forth, Kraken! Come forth!” But of course, this is simply a chemical reaction that is called the "Pharoah's Serpent". It was also often sold in firework stores until people realized that it was toxic.

A woman looks at a swimmer getting herself warm after the annual Christmas winter swimming competition in the Vltava river in Prague December 26, 2014. (Photo by David W. Cerny/Reuters)

Dance Team Rage Crew perform at BAFTA LA's 6th Annual Christmas Party and Toy Drive at Helen Keller Park on December 17, 2011 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)

A tourist has her photo taken wearing a Santa hat on Christmas Day on Bondi Beach in Sydney, Australia on December 25, 2018. (Photo by Peter Parks/AFP Photo)