Nutcrackers originated in late XNUMXth century Germany.

Legend says that the first nutcracker was created by Friedrich Wilhelm Füchtner, an artisan from Seiffen, today known in Germany as “the father of the nutcra.”er”. He reportedly began the first mass production of the puppet (using a lathe) in his workshop in 1872.

Decorative nutcracker dolls, on the other hand, began to be popularized outside Europe after World War II, when several American soldiers, stationed in Germany, returned to the United States with the German nutcracker as a souvenir. Popularization was also due to the adaptation of the work “The Nutcracker and the Mouse King” (by ETA Hoffmann), by Tchaikovsky. The ballet version featured a gallant and heroic nutcracker toy soldier. Ballet, introduced to America in the mid-20th century, has become a favorite holiday tradition across the United States and has helped make nutcracker dolls a Christmas decoration and seasonal icon in Western culture.

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