It seems that as soon as Christmas begins knocking on our doors, everybody goes crazy for a nutcracker.
Or better, The Nutcracker.
Indeed, I am talking about the popular ballet that seems to take hold of the major stages in the world each December. No one can deny that it is an enchanting story, a chromatic experience that tastes incredibly sweet. Yet, no matter how much we love it, the original performance, which premiered in St Petersburg in 1892, with music composed by the acclaimed Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, was so criticised that it makes us question how it ever made its way into the 21st century.
Investigating the first ballet and its infinite hateful commentaries, it appears that this immense load of work was actually pretty doomed from the beginning. First, Tchaikovsky had great difficulties composing the music; then the choreographer changed abruptly right in the middle of the project; and lastly, the issue of seeing children as protagonists on a stage was not well received by the Russian public at all. It was unfortunately considered a disgrace and something that should have never been brought on a stage. Perhaps a bit harsh but regrettably true, for the very first performance of The Nutcracker was not even faithful to the original story—a fairytale titled The Nutcracker and the Mouse King, penned by E.T.A. Hoffman. Although many may consider it from Russia, the short novel for children instead made its first appearance in Berlin, Germany, in 1816.
In 1845, French author Alexandre Dumas translated it, making it sugary and more sentimental and diving away from the dark and disturbing feelings that characterised Hoffman’s version, ultimately becoming the sole inspiration behind the Russian ballet’s adaptation. Apart from the atmosphere, a vital change that oddly still persists today is the main protagonist’s name—Marie.
For centuries it has been substituted with Clara, which primarily belonged to one of Marie’s dolls.
But let’s forget about Clara for a second and focus on the original character, as the tale begins and ends with her. On the day of Christmas Eve, we meet the Sthalbaum family, who are putting the finishing touches on their Christmas tree. In the story, Marie and her brother, Fritz, are patiently waiting for the reveal of the tree, which lies on the other side of the closed parlour doors, and are making guesses about what magnificent gifts their godfather, Counsellor Drosselmeyer, is going to bring them. The latter is described as an inventor and a genius, with a patch on one of his eyes. A quite peculiar man who each year brings them a one-of-a-kind gift he makes himself. Marie’s attention, however, falls on another of Drosselmeyer’s possessions—an ugly little doll called a nutcracker.
It seems his portrayal with an out-of-proportion broad body compared to his slim little legs, a big head, a military outfit that included a violet jacket, violet thigh pantaloons, polished pristine boots, a woodman’s cap, clear green eyes, and finally a nice beard with a huge smile, became somehow throughout history the standard for nutcrackers.
His appearance, however, although unpleasing, is extremely important for the moral of the story.
Then, dear reader, the object unfortunately gets broken, causing Marie to be upset. Subsequently, at midnight a pandemonium breaks out, where we finally get to meet the infamous seven-headed Mouse King, blood gets spilt, and several terrifying threats are made (and a bunch of other things), but eventually the tale ends gleefully for good and all. There are quite a few interesting characters and details written in this novel, like the Nutcracker himself, who we discover at last to be Counsellor Drosselmeyer’s nephew, or the absurd challenge he needs to achieve in order to return to his old body.
We can certainly tell that Hoffman meant to write a true fairytale, even though today it is not perceived in that way.
However, the question that gave me the most pause was—why a nutcracker?
What makes this strange object so interesting, and why is it related to Christmas?
Nutcracker dolls today play mainly a decorative role and typically resemble a toy soldier. Originally they were simple tools made out of wood or metal. But the picture that pops into our minds when we think of a nutcracker was born in the late 17th century in Germany, particularly in the Ore Mountains region. Slightly different from how we imagine them today, these nutcracker dolls had huge heads, big mouths, and tiny bodies, making them relatively frightening. During the harsh winter months, some people resorted to wood carving and began designing these little figurines that would crack open nuts with their teeth, traditionally resembling miners, policemen, royalty, or soldiers.
In German tradition, these dolls became a symbol of good luck and great gifts, usually given during wintertime, and slowly grew associated with the Christmas season. Yet of course, Hoffman, Dumas, and the Russian ballet all three played a grand role in affirming this peculiar object.
We can undeniably state that The Nutcracker and the Mouse King is an ingenious and unprecedented story. A short novel that started a long tradition that still carries over to this day.
However, this does not mean that there are no similarities with other legends and myths from around the world.
So, a little bit dark or not, The Nutcracker and the Mouse King is a true fairytale. Hoffman drew from morals and scenarios we often see in children’s stories, like metamorphosis, animated objects, looking beyond outer beauty, and so many other factors.
Imagination, values, and themes that are ultimately not just for little ones but are inherently human.
And above all, dear reader, they make a great Christmas story.
Up, The Nutcracker Illustration by my amazing twin Soul
Sources:
From Epic Fail to Christmas Classic: The History of The Nutcracker
The Nutcracker and the Mouse King by E.T.A. Hoffman (1930)
Do Nutcrackers Really Work? The Festive History Behind the Famous Holiday Toy
The Library of the Unseen 
Beautiful description of my sign! Thank you ☺️ 😘😘