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How Giant Toy Soldiers Joined the Christmas Festivities

Giant nutcracker toy soldier in woodsy winter scene

Ah, that joyous time of year when we bring a flurry of festive cheer into our homes and hearts. Nothing quite beats the feeling that Christmas has arrived—as evidenced by the sparkling lights and decorations, the smell of freshly-baked treats in the kitchen, and holiday movies and music playing on infinite repeat. It truly is an enchanting experience. This festive season can be made exceptionally more magical with the apparition of giant toy soldiers as electrifying decorations in front of homes and businesses! These larger-than-life figures dominate exteriors across our public spaces to create astounding displays.

Such eye-catching decor will not only elevate your Christmas celebrations but will also help you make some precious memories together with your family. So let’s jump right in and discover how giant toy soldiers can add extra pep to your holiday festivities this year!

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The Art of Shopping for Outdoor Nativity Sets

Outdoor Nativity scene in Vatican City

When Christmastime is upon us, people enjoy publicly displaying decorations expressing their holiday cheer. Outdoors, in front of homes and businesses and churches, you might find brightly lit Christmas trees and evergreen wreaths on doors. There may be jaunty snowmen or oversized inflatable candy canes. You are likely also to run across beautiful outdoor Nativity sets displayed by those who cherish the religious foundation of the season.

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Life-size Santas—Dressed for the Season

Life-size Santa figurine

At Christmas time, Santa Claus—that “jolly old elf”—can be found just about everywhere. Miniature Santa figurines stand atop mantles along with sleighs and tiny reindeer. Delicate glass Santa ornaments decorate the branches of Christmas trees. In the stores, plush Santa dolls sit, hoping to be claimed by a lucky child. Wooden Santa nutcrackers wait their turn to break open walnuts at a holiday party. And life-size Santas stand on porches and in yards, greeting visitors and passersby with the best of holiday cheer.

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It Doesn’t Really Feel Like Christmas Without Giant Toy Soldiers!

Christmas giant toy soldiers

Standing tall and dapper, attired in their finest military raiment—sartorial elegance in velvet and gold—nothing shouts “Christmas!” quite like giant toy soldiers standing at attention in front of decked-out homes or stores overflowing with holiday wares. They have become one of the iconic motifs of Yuletide festivities. Often referred to as nutcracker dolls or Christmas nutcrackers, their legacy goes back centuries. As we leaf through cherished Christmas tales this coming holiday season, let’s delve into the past and shine a light on Christmas toy soldiers and nutcrackers.

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Under a Conservative SCOTUS, Does the Plastic Christmas Reindeer Rule Still Matter?

Christmas reindeer

Some years ago we explored the sticky question of a municipal, state, or federal entity celebrating the Christmas holiday with the public display of an overtly denominational religious symbol, such as a manger scene. The consensus at the time (in 2011) was that the best recourse is to abide by the Plastic Reindeer Rule. This decision by the Supreme court in 1984 refers to a Pawtucket, Rhode Island, case (Lynch v. Donnelly) wherein the court ruled that the city did not violate the separation of church and state principle when it included a Nativity scene among a number of other seasonal and mostly secular holiday decorations (e.g., life-size Christmas reindeer, giant candy canes, a wishing well, a Jewish menorah, etc.) displayed in a public park.

No doubt this Solomonic decision by the Supreme Court left both religious and non-religious advocates equally unhappy. Yet that is the essential wisdom of Solomonic judgments: Everybody wins if nobody wins!

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Giant Nutcrackers Around the World

Giant nutcrackers

Nutcrackers and Christmas go together like hot cider and frosty snowfall. How festive to see one standing atop a mantle in his red and green soldier’s uniform or at attention beneath the Christmas tree. You may even spy some giant nutcrackers on a porch or in a yard, ready to usher in the Yuletide season.

Nutcrackers are beloved members of the Christmas decorating family, though it wasn’t until the creation of Tchaikovsky’s famed Christmas ballet, The Nutcracker, in 1892 that they became a holiday staple.

Originating in medieval times, the first nutcrackers were functional tools for—you guessed it!—cracking nuts. Some were plain, while others were crafted out of wood by skilled whittlers who made them look like animals, elf heads, or other figures from nature and folklore.

In the 17th century, a German craftsman created nutcracker dolls for children. Since these small novelty dolls were seen as symbols of protection and power, could giant nutcrackers offer even more protection (as the hero of the ballet did)? Realistically speaking, maybe not. But they most definitely could offer extra special holiday cheer!

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Shopping for an Outdoor Nativity Set?

Outdoor Nativity set

There Are So Many Decorating Options!

For those who celebrate Christmas, decorating for the holiday is an exciting, meaningful activity. Whether the celebration is secular or sacred, adorning the home, church, or business for the season brings people together in joyful, creative ways. One popular activity is shopping for giant outdoor nativity sets, which illustrate the beautiful “reason for the season.”

The outdoor nativity scene is a cherished Christmas tradition. Inspired by a pilgrimage to the Holy Land, St. Francis of Assisi was the very first to enact the original Nativity, with a live recreation of the birth of Christ for the people of Greccio, Italy, in 1223. Since then, living Nativity scenes continue to be presented by churches and religious organizations worldwide. Actors pose as the Holy Family, Shepherds, and Magi. Some scenes even include a variety of animals that, according to the New Testament, attended Jesus’ birth.

Yet, putting together a live performance isn’t something many are willing to tackle. For that reason, many celebrants who want to share Christmas with neighbors and passers-by prefer to put up life-sized outdoor nativity sets for all to see. And happily, there isn’t one “right” set from which to choose; you have many options!

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The Quantum Santa Sleigh

Quantum Santa sleigh

Or…
How the Heck Does Santa Deliver All Those Toys Around the World in One Night?

People don’t often consider the math behind Santa Claus’s worldwide Christmas Eve deliveries. Is there some scientific principle that easily explains St. Nick’s round-the-world trip in the legendary, seemingly old-fashioned Santa sleigh? It would be interesting to explore these package distributions mathematically. Let’s start by interviewing old Kris Kringle himself….

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That Cheerful Christmas Creature, the Giant Reindeer

Giant reindeer with red sled

As December comes ’round again, mailboxes and email inboxes are filled with holiday greetings. These cards may feature images of rabbits hiding beneath snow-covered boughs, puppies snoozing beside a bright hearth, or kittens playing with tinsel on the lower branches of Christmas trees. Christmas and animals go together as perfectly as Christmas and eggnog and big red bows.

Yet here’s a thought experiment: What animal do you first think of when you think of Christmas? Since Santa Claus has practically cornered the market on seasonal holiday decor, the answer for most people would likely be reindeer—Santa’s faithful “steeds.” And what better way to represent these cheerful creatures than with your own life-sized, giant reindeer?

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Nutty Fun with Life-size Nutcrackers

Life-size nutcracker figure

It’s the Christmas season! Look around—everywhere you’ll see snowmen and reindeer, Santa and sparkling trees, flickering candles and charmingly stoic toy soldiers decked out in red, green, and gold—not to mention a flurry of festive décor, from miniature scented elf candles to life-size nutcrackers indoors and out!

In past blogs we explored the surprising origin of giant nutcracker Christmas decorations and the evolution of the beloved nutcracker figure over the decades. To recap, back in the Middle Ages the humble nutcracker began life as a plain, purely functional nut-cracking implement for the kitchen. Soon, clever German craftsmen began fashioning them into dolls—still functional but more fun and festive.

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