German Nutcrackers Make Great Gifts

Christmas, German Style

Want to find a gift that is thoughtful and unique? Forget the impersonal fruit baskets this holiday season and replace them with the handcrafted charm of German nutcrackers. The German nutcrackers, which include Steinbach varieties, are one-of-a-kind treasures that will find a place in someone's heart for every Christmas to come.

In the early nineteenth century, German miners, who sought employment during their off-season, crafted little wooden servicemen. Their little hand-carved figures used a screw or lever in the mouth to crack the nut-shell. It amused people to see these stoic wooden figures, sometimes in the form of servicemen or authority figures, performing a task as menial as cracking nuts.

World War II American soldiers stationed in Germany found the wooden figures with a nut-cracking mouth endearing. They brought the little handmade treasures home to their loved ones at Christmas, and by doing so, created the tradition that we enjoy today. The craft has evolved over the years, creating a distinction between the traditional nutcrackers, like soldiers and kings, to the more specialized nutcrackers, like leprechauns and pilots. Just like the old days, modern German nutcrackers include hand-carved craftsmanship.