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 There are many different examples of ornate and decorative nutcrackers that can be found by searching through a retail store. Over the years, making these beautiful mechanisms has become an art form of itself.
Decorative nutcrackers tend to be extremely colorful, and some are even described as being playful and fun. While these were once designed only to serve a functional purpose, now they are treated as a collectible item and a holiday traditional item as well.
While the traditional decorative nutcrackers tend to follow the form of soldiers and other notable characters such as kings and princes, the more modern ones are formed after more iconic figures that are more recent. Geared at children, you will find many of these items that take on the form of cartoon characters such as Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Dora the Explorer, Spongebob, and other icons that are familiar to the little ones.
Decorative nutcrackers are made of many different types of materials. The most common ones are made of a type of metal like iron. Other popular ones are made of wood. These are the two types of materials that people prefer to collect. There are also those made of rarer types of materials such as porcelain, glass, bone, and ivory. These are very hard to find because these materials aren’t hard materials and tended to break when the items were actually used as tools. Therefore, there just aren’t that many of them left from days gone by. Still others are made of thick plastic. These aren’t really designed to be functional as much as they are designed just as decorative nutcrackers.
There are many different colors that can be found. The sizes also vary. There are some that are life sized and even beyond that. Others are smaller scale. There are even some that are considered miniature and, of course, any size imaginable in between.
Some work like a lever, while others employ a mechanism that screws down onto the shell and busts it open from the force.
When these tools were used on a daily basis for nuts which were once a staple of almost every diet, these were seen by many cultures as protectors and the bringers of good luck, good health, and prosperity. Because of the necessity of the item along with the fact that they were believed to be such a good omen, it was common to give them or receive them as gifts. So, at one time, these were found in just about everyone’s home. Now that shells are often removed before packaging, these tools are no longer as necessary as they once were. However, even though they have lost their usefulness, they are still a big part of the celebration of the holidays.
Every year they are still represented in ballet and through stories told throughout the season. It seems that they are here to stay regardless of whether they are a tool that is utilized these days. So don’t forget to include one while trimming your home this year.
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