Now a Christmas icon the first nutcracker was made in the 1870s by a German carpenter by the name of Wilhelm Fuchtner who made toys and other small wooden items during the cold season when there was no outside work. As with fairy tales the nutcrackers became a way for the working class to make fun of the ruling class, the king could be seen cracking nuts for the working class at Christmas time. The nutcrackers gained worldwide popularity during the mid 20th century when the "Nutcracker Ballet" was first performed outside of Russia and soldiers brought them home as souvenirs. Today descendants of the same family still live and work in the same house/workshop making only about 500 nutcrackers a year the old fashion way.
No comments:
Post a Comment