The Krebs Soldier Nutcracker Ornament
is about 5½ inches tall. These Nutcracker Ornaments are wearing a tall red hat with gold glitter tassels and gold brim, bright olive green jacket with red sleeves, gold belt and gold glitter trim. His pants are red with gold cuffs and his boots are dark brown. He is holding a gold rifle at his side. These Glass Ornaments were made in Germany by Krebs Glas. Select to see a complete listing of our Christmas Decorations Ideas.

The Nutcracker.
The Nutcracker story was written in 1816 by the German writer E.T.A. Hoffmann. It was a rather grim tale of an unhappy girl named Marie whose only love is a nutcracker doll. In 1845 the famed French novelist Alexandre Dumas, who made it more suitable for children, adapted the story. In 1891 this version was chosen as the basis of the Russian ballet scored by Piotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky and choreographed by Marius Petitpa and Lev Ivanov. Select this link to view our Nutcracker Ornaments.
The Nutcracker Suite opened in St. Petersburg on December 17, 1892. The original production was not a success. Though popular in Russia,it was never staged outside of that country until 1934, when a setting appeared in London. Since then numerous versions of the dance, long and short, have been attempted, with the most successful being that by George Balanchine in 1954. It is probably the world’s favorite ballet, being seen by millions each year, during the Christmas season. Select this link to view our Ornament Sets.
The ballet’s popularity has stimulated an interest in the collection of nutcrackers. Though many types of metal and wood nutcrackers were made through the centuries, the commercial production of the popular wooden toy nutcracker dates only from the 1870’s in Germany. The Leavenworth Nutcracker Museum in Washington State exhibits over 3,000 of these implements from around the world. Select to see a complete listing of our Christmas Decorations Ideas.

Nuts.
Nuts are a symbol of fruitfulness associated with midwinter festivals. The Romans believed each type of nut to be possessed of a special virtue, almonds were an antidote to drunkenness, walnuts counteracted poisons, hazelnuts prevented famine. Select this link to view our Old World Father Christmas Ornaments.

Caring for your Christmas Ornaments.
To care for and protect your Christmas ornaments for years to come, please be mindful of the following suggestions. Wrap your ornaments individually in 24 Anti Tarnish Tissue Paper Sheets and pack your ornaments securely in one of our sturdy Ornament Storage Boxes, making sure not to place too many layers in a single box. One layer is ideal. The box should be very sturdy and made of paper. Plastic bubble wrap and or plastic storage containers do not allow the ornaments to have proper ventilation. Particularly if the ornaments are stored in a warm place like an attic, or in a humid place like a basement. Also be sure to take care to store your holiday ornaments in a safe, dry place away from water, sun or fluorescent lights and other outside elements. Check out all of our Glass Ornaments.