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!
