Tchaikovsky's The Nutcracker ballet, first performed in the United States in 1944, did much to link the nutcracker to Christmas traditions. German toy makers fabricated nutcrackers from a single piece of hardwood, often fashioning them as unflattering versions of military officers, kings, police, and other unpopular figures. These carved pieces were used as toys as well as, of course, utensils for opening nutshells.
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