Have you ever wondered how the first nutcracker originated? Here is a story that is told today that is a mixture of legend and history.
"It is said that long ago there lived a farmer who was very wealthy, but miserly and lonely. His heart was as hard as the walnuts on the walnut trees of his property, and he had little time to crack the nuts to get at the tasty meat inside. Because he had no time for such foolishness, he offered a reward to any person who could find an easy way to crack the nuts. Many unusual ideas were proposed. An old soldier suggested that he could shoot the nut, thus getting at the meat inside. A carpenter suggested that it would be best to saw through the nut. A veterinarian thought that if he put the walnuts under a chicken surely they would hatch! Obviously, these ideas were not acceptable. One day an old puppet carver from the village of Seiffen came with a beautiful puppet painted in bright colors, with a large mouth and strong jaws - strong enough and big enough to crack the hard walnuts. The miserly farmer was grateful and decided to reward the whole village. Each year at Christmas, he gave all the residents German fruit cake, chocolate with nuts, and he even had some walnuts painted gold to be used as decorations on the Christmas tree. And to the puppet carver, he gave a special workshop so that the puppet maker was now free to make the most beautiful nutcrackers in the world! Not only did the beautiful nutcracker crack the walnuts of the area, but the hard heart of the farmer was broken so that kindness and generosity would come forth for all!"
While this story is entertaining, there is no historical truth to it. No one knows for sure when the first nutcracker was made. It is known however, that as early as the year 1725 nutcrackers were present in the homes in the Erzgebirge. They were simple, wooden figures equipped with a lever device to crack nuts The German saying,"hard nut to crack", which means that someone is facing a difficult problem, originated because the people of Erzgebirge had many "tough nuts" to crack. They faced difficult working conditions, low wages and the always present authorities with their often harsh demands. This helps to explain why the first nutcrackers, and many of the ones produced today, are depicted as the unpopular officials of authority. - Nutcrackers who would work for them as they crack nuts.
Today, the largest producer of wooden toy soldier nutcrackers is Christian Steinbach located in Hohenhameln of Germany. His colorful, elaborate designs attract the attention of many collectors, and some of his limited editions have increased rapidly in value once they were out of production. The Steinbach family claim that their nutcrackers bring good fortune, and they have even devised their own guidelines for nutcracker collecting:
- "The first and most important piece in a nutcracker collection is the King. He is the ruler of the collection, so he needs to be displayed so that he overlooks his subjects.
- The soldier or guard with a weapon is the second most important piece of a collection. He is there to protect the king.
- The third nutcracker for any collection should be the good luck piece, and in Europe the Chimney Sweep is the symbol of luck.
- The fourth piece in line of importance is the drummer or musician. This nutcracker is the one who drums out the good news about the collection.
- The King needs to eat, and have clothes and shoes. So bakers, servants and workers finish out the collection."
A great deal of handwork and skill are required to produce nutcrackers, which limits the quantities that can be produced. Nutcrackers are a much sought after collector item not only for those who admire the skill and handwork involved in making them, but also because of the tradition behind them. But the real pleasure of the nutcracker is his colorful presence in the home, especially during the holiday season. And, believe it or not, nutcrackers really can crack nuts!