Hi all I haven't done a posting on anything in my home. I have recently moved again so will be posting a full home tour soon. I bought these little 'crackers' from an antique shop a couple of months ago, I love them.
The history of the wooden Nutcracker starts in 16th century in Germany. And of course it predates the ballet. Nutcrackers showed up in Germany's Erzgebirge region in 1725. Other estimations - like te town Seiffen - claim the nutcracker's official birth year as 1879. By teh way, Seiffen in Germany was home to many of the world's most famous toymakers.
Nutcracker's Legend
Erzgebirge legend: Long ago there lived a hardhearted and wealthy farmer. He promised a reward to anyone who could crack his walnuts. One day, a carver came from Seiffen and surprised the farmer with a wonderful wooden puppet. It was colourful painted with strong jaws, powerful enough to crack walnuts. Grateful, the miserly farmer rewarded the entire village.
According to another legend the nutcracker might also be symbolic. Erzgebirge residents suffered Germany's early political repression. So, toymakers constructed a wooden figure whose only military purpose was to crack nuts on command.
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