These Small Red Ornaments
come in an assortment of Glass Ornaments that are about 1½ inches in diameter. They come on a tree shaped storage card. They are the perfect size for decorating any 2 to 4 foot tall Christmas Tree. These Christmas Ornament Sets have 5 solid shiny Red Glass Balls with a mirror like finish. The other 5 have swirled stripes with different finishes. One stripe is a solid Red mirror like finish. Another is etched Red covered with Red glitter. These Miniature Ornaments are very elegant. The third stripe is frosted matte Red with tiny Red glitter dots and matte finish Red edging. Select to see a complete listing of our Christmas Decorations Ideas.

The Story of The Nutcracker.
The combination of a useful tool and a figural form with a human appearance was well accepted by the mid 18th century. In the toy making center of Sonneberg, in the Thuringian Forest, there was mention in 1735 of nut biters that operated according to the principles of leverage. These nut biters were described as sturdy, energetic forms with large heads. Two moving arms on the back of the head allowed the lower jaw to push the nut against the upper jaw. In a carnival parade in 1783, students from Freisingen, Germany presented large models of Berchtesgaden wares, including a nut biter in the form of a little man whose mouth and stomach were one and the same. Select this link to view our Christmas Nutcrackers Village People.

Military Uniform History:
It is unclear when the first military uniforms were developed, and for what purpose. Uniforms are typically a sign of well-organized military forces equipped by a central authority. It is important to distinguish between uniforms and ethnic dress. If a particular race or culture favored a distinctive dress style that could easily create the impression of uniformly dressed warriors. Select to learn more about Wooden Nutcrackers Soldiers. The colorful clothing of the Hungarian hussars became the uniform of hussar units all over Europe. Soldiers could also develop their own fashions, which set them apart from civilians. The clothing of the German Landsknechte of the 16th century is an example of distinctive military fashion. There are a few recorded attempts at uniform dress in antiquity, going beyond the similarity to be expected of ethnic or tribal dress. One example is the Spanish infantry of Hannibal who wore white tunics with crimson edgings. Another is the Spartan helot in his red garment. Select to find more Nutcracker Decorations ideas for the holidays.