The whole crown thing makes me think of Christmases. We burst open Christmas crackers, which are generally pieces of cardboard tied with strong and a tiny explosive device that just makes it pop when you pull it open, hence the name. Usually inside there's paper crowns that you wear, and a corny joke of some kind. There's usually a competition, you pull both ends and whoever gets most of it gets the stuff inside.
So the whole crown thing is similar, but it's usually only worn during the rest of the celebration.