This Unique Nutcracker Stocking Holders
are 8 inches tall. The Wooden Nutcrackers Soldiers are 5.5 inches tall, the drum is 1.5 inches tall and the hook is 1 inch long. The nutcracker figurine is wearing a red coat with green lining. It is decorated with patterns in gold and gold trim. The shoulder pads are blue on top with gold frills. The cuffs are blue and gold striped. He is wearing a white undershirt and a black belt with a gold buckle. The Unique Christmas Stocking Holders have a black mustache and eyebrows with a white beard and hair. The nutcracker soldiers pants are blue and he is wearing black boots with gold laces and gold trim. The free standing Christmas stocking holder is wearing a red crown with gold designs on it and is standing on a red, white and blue drum with gold trim. 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.
The literary career of the nutcracker began with the 1816 publication of E.T.A. Hoffmann's fairy tale Nussknacker und Mausekönig, a children's book that helped bring the nutcracker into a broader popularity. In the spirit of a time when the importance of the family and children was beginning to be emphasized, Hoffmann vividly depicted a sympathetic soul, Under the Christmas tree a very excellent little man became visible that stood there still and modestly. He waited as if they would all come to him. The job of the nutcracker was to work hard for the children of the family by biting open the nuts.
Thirty five years after the publication of E.T.A. Hoffmann's classic, the nutcracker reappeared as a central character in Heinrich Hoffmann's story King Nutcracker and the Poor Reinhold 1851. In this story the poor Reinhold becomes acquainted with the Nutcracker King in a dream.
The nutcracker did not always play the role of the good-hearted fairy tale king. More often he wore a monk's robe or was made into the form of a mean-looking policeman, a Turk, master of the watch, a cavalry man or some other grotesque helmeted figure with a long nose. He appeared, for example, as a caricature of Napoleon on a 1813 Parisian picture-sheet. By the end of the 19th century he appeared almost consistently in the catalogs of the toy wholesalers as a representative of the contemporary authorities. What started out as a practical tool often ended up as an expression of light irony and a social critique by the common people. Check out our Nutcracker Ornaments for your Christmas tree.

The History of Nutcrackers.
According to German folklore, nutcrackers were given as keepsakes to bring good luck to your family and protect your home. The legend says that a nutcracker represents power and strength and serves like a trusty watch dog guarding your family from evil spirits and danger. A fierce protector, the nutcracker bares its teeth to the evil spirits and serves as the traditional messenger of good luck and goodwill.
Nutcrackers reflect ancestral dining customs where amusing or unusual nutcrackers were part of the social setting adding a whimsical conversation piece as guests linger over the dessert course which included treats such as pecans and hazelnuts.
Writers, composers and artists sang and danced the praises of the legend of the Nutcracker beginning with the novel “The Nutcracker and the King of Mice,” written sometime between 1776 and 1822, by E.T. Amadeus Hoffman. This novel became the basis for Tchaikovsky’s magnificent “Nutcracker Suite”, which debuted as a ballet in St. Petersburg in 1892 and lives on as a holiday tradition throughout the world. Select to see a complete listing of our Christmas Nutcracker Decorations.