Nutcracker: A Holiday Tradition Around the World

By Kelsey Ruzicka

The classic fairy-tale ballet “The Nutcracker,” popular the world over and performed at Christmas time, revolves around the personal awakening of a young girl over one Christmas holiday. The well-known Christmas story has been published in books, including colorful books for children. It has become the most frequently performed ballet in the world. Is this part of your holiday tradition?

Here are a few things you may not know about this Classic holiday tale.

Cowgirl Poet, Quilter, Entertainer Yvonne Hollenbeck

CHRISTMAS GIFTS

A poem from Yvonne’s new book, A Stitch in Rhyme

The kids nowadays at Christmas usually rake in quite a haul; it seems however long the list, that Santa brings it all. Then parents help ol’ Santa out, and sometimes search in vain for G-I Joe, a special doll, or fine electric train.

Then here comes Christmas morning; it is almost like a sin, because gifts that children like the most are “boxes” they come in.

Order A Stitch in Rhyme at www.yvonnehollenbeck.com!

© Yvonne Hollenbeck; 2022 Yvonne Hollenbeck, from Clearfield, SD, performs her original poetry throughout the United States, captivating audiences in her wake. She is one of the most published cowgirl poets in the West and is not only a popular banquet and civic entertainer, but also co-writes songs with many western entertainers. Yvonne also pens a weekly column in the “Farmer-Rancher Exchange” and writes articles about life in rural America in various publications throughout the West. For more information, visit https://www.yvonnehollenbeck.com

1. The story was originally not for children.

The story is about a girl who befriends a nutcracker that comes to life on Christmas Eve and wages a battle against the evil Mouse King. Hoffman’s original work showed humanity’s dark-sided nature and was definitely not appropriate for children.

2.

It Premiered in St. Petersburg in 1892

“The Nutcracker” ballet premiered at the Mariinsky Theatre in St. Petersburg on December 18, 1892. It sold out tickets. It was performed along with Tchaikovsky’s one-act opera “Iolanta.”

3. Tchaikovsky Didn’t Think It Compared to His Other Scores

In 1892, Tchaikovsky finished composing the music for “The Nutcracker.” Afterward, he wrote that he felt the fairy-tale’s music was “infinitely poorer” than that of “Sleeping Beauty,” which he finished two years prior. It was the last of his three ballets — the first of which was “Swan Lake.”

4. The First Full-Length Production Was in the U.S.

The Christmas ballet was first performed outside of Russia in England in 1934, but the full-length production first appeared in the United States in 1944 at the San Francisco Opera Ballet. Setting the stage for the success in the U.S.

5. The ballet incorporated a brand new type of instrument.

The Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy was the first music ever written for the celesta. Tchaikovsky used a celesta for the Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy to create the unique bell sound. He smuggled the new instrument into Russia from Paris because of its unique sound. Celesta literally means “heavenly.” collector and had frames of buttons hung throughout the house on the walls and a special frame of her most valuable buttons on the end table. She collected buttons ever since I can remember. She would always let me poke through her buttons. She had several button tins and jars sorted by materials or subject matter. I especially liked her frame of cat buttons, hand painted ceramics, and beautiful mother of pearl buttons. She also had a tin of buttons just for me to play with.

I would dump them on the floor, much to Aunt Cora’s dismay and have fun. Sometimes I’d count them, putting them in groups of ten, and then count them by tens. Sometimes I’d sort them by color. As I grew older and appreciated buttons more for their delicate workmanship and value, she taught me how to sort them by materials what the buttons were made from.

I learned about rubber buttons made by Novelty Rubber Co., Goodyear’s patent of 1851. Yes, they