left|thumbnail|A variety of figure nutcrackers Nutcrackers in the form of wood carvings of a soldier, knight, king, or other profession have existed since at least the 15th century. Figurative nutcrackers are a good luck symbol in Germany, and a folktale recounts that a puppet-maker won a nutcracking challenge by creating a doll with a mouth for a lever to crack the nuts. These nutcrackers portray a person with a large mouth which the operator opens by lifting a lever in the back of the figurine. Originally one could insert a nut in the big-toothed mouth, press down and thereby crack the nut. Modern nutcrackers in this style serve mostly for decoration, mainly at Christmas time, a season of which they have long been a traditional symbol. Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky's ballet The Nutcracker, based on a story by E. T. A. Hoffmann, derives its name from this festive holiday decoration.
left|thumbnail|a variety of figure nutcrackers nutcrackers in the form of wood carvings of a soldier knight king or other profession have existed since at least the 15th century figurative nutcrackers are a good luck symbol in germany and a folktale recounts that a puppet-maker won a nutcracking challenge by creating a doll with a mouth for a lever to crack the nuts these nutcrackers portray a person with a large mouth which the operator opens by lifting a lever in the back of the figurine originally one could insert a nut in the big-toothed mouth press down and thereby crack the nut modern nutcrackers in this style serve mostly for decoration mainly at christmas time a season of which they have long been a traditional symbol pyotr ilyich tchaikovsky's ballet the nutcracker based on a story by e t a hoffmann derives its name from this festive holiday decoration