I befriended my first nutcracker in December 1992, when my mom took me to see the Nutcracker Ballet for the first time. I was so excited when it ended she bought me a nutcracker of my very own and I was hooked! Every Christmas growing up, I would pull them down from the shelf where they were displayed and play pretend with all the kings and soldiers I had collected. Now, each Christmas we spend time unpacking, re-gluing, and artfully arranging all of the nutcrackers on many shelves in a specific order that makes sense in my head alone. If you look hard in this snippet of the troupe, you’ll see two that look like my fiancé and I – he is a proud partner in my collection efforts.
Each year it has become a tradition to add a few more to the collection, and everyone knows it is one of my favorite Christmas gifts to receive, of which there have been many. They have traveled from near and far, hailing from Germany and Austria, the local Rite Aid, and everywhere in between – which surely includes the Magical Land of Sweets. Currently, there are 268 wooden treasures guarding my heart, and though we may never face off with a mouse king, this little army comes with me into the Christmas season each year prepared to bring the holiday spirit to all who visit our home.
