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 You’re sure to find yourself face to face with Xmas nutcrackers if you read a Christmas story or watch a holiday movie. No one is quite sure how this ancient tool became so incorporated into our holiday décor, but one thing is for sure, you will find nary a home, business office, or store shelf without these endearing ornamental pieces out on display during the holidays. Collectors and novices alike will have them out for all to see. An online Christmas store will carry a great selection for you to browse through.
Hundreds of years ago, they were a typical type of gift given year round, but much more so during the holiday season. They were both functional and beautiful. Everyone needed a nutcracker as this was the way to end most meals, with freshly cracked nuts and the beverage of choice. This might be the reason that the tradition of having Xmas nutcrackers as a part of the holiday celebration found its place in history.
While American men were deployed in different parts of the world, buying military nutcrackers as unusual Christmas gifts to send home to friends and family seemed to make them even more popular, particularly in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Perhaps it was a combination of receiving the gift, and the love from the sender that made Xmas nutcrackers a staple in most homes, as something to be fondly looked upon for many years to come.
Probably the best known and well-loved style is the soldier. His rigid stance reminds almost every one of their childhood, maybe because it resembles the soldier that stood in the corner at Grandma’s house at Christmas time. If you ask someone to visualize one in their mind, this is the design that they most likely will recall almost immediately. Besides the soldier, they have taken on many other forms, such as Santa Claus, animals, people, super heroes, and even celebrities. They are usually wildly colorful and meant to attract attention. Some are not fashioned after anything in particular, taking on more of an abstract appearance.
It could be that Xmas nutcrackers found their way into this holiday tradition because of the fact that at one time, nuts were consumed quite frequently at any type of a social function, whether it was a friendly get together, or a grand feast of celebration. It was part of the normal routine to either roast nuts, or eat them straight from the shell. This could explain another reason that they were at one time so prominent in society, and why they were given and received with enthusiasm.
The Nutcracker Ballet is performed annually during the holidays which heightens the awareness of this fascinating piece. Regardless of how they became so prevalent in today’s society, the fact is that they have long been used for functional reasons for centuries. The fact that they are not really a necessity today makes it a little more fascinating that something that has outlived its usefulness is still a mainstay in many homes today, though nuts are still a Christmas tradition in many homes. This figure has become cemented in history through movies, plays, ballets, books, and in our memories, and it certainly looks as if Xmas nutcrackers--whether functional, or as Christmas ornaments or even large outdoor Christmas decorations--aren’t going anywhere anytime soon.
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