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what does the nutcracker mean

by Sadye Zieme Published 2 years ago Updated 1 year ago
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Nutcracker dolls, also known as Christmas nutcrackers, are decorative nutcracker figurines most commonly made to resemble a toy soldier. In German tradition, the dolls are symbols of good luck, frightening away malevolent spirits.

What does The Nutcracker symbolize?

Wiktionary (0.00 / 0 votes) Rate this definition:

  • nutcracker noun An implement for cracking nuts. Etymology: From nut + crack + -er
  • nutcracker noun Either of two birds of the genus Nucifraga in the crow family. Etymology: From nut + crack + -er
  • Nutcracker noun A ballet by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky Etymology: From nut + crack + -er

What is the general story of "the Nutcracker"?

The Nutcracker is a classical ballet in two acts. It is based on E.T.A. Hoffmann 's 1816 fairy tale The Nutcracker and the Mouse King. It tells the story of a little girl who goes to the Land of Sweets on Christmas Eve. Ivan Vsevolozhsky and Marius Petipa adapted Hoffmann's story for the ballet.

What is the Nutcracker famous for?

A global phenomenon

  • A German-French-Russian-American story. The nutcracker gained international recognition thanks to its various cultural representations, and the fact that authors from different countries borrowed from the original tale.
  • From Saxony to the world. ...
  • Another reason to visit the Ore Mountains. ...

What is the summary of the Nutcracker?

“The Nutcracker” is the story of Clara, a little girl who is given a wooden nutcracker as a Christmas gift by the mysterious Dr. Drosselmeyer. That night, she experiences the nutcracker’s battle with an army of mice and his transformation into a handsome prince.

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What is the significance of The Nutcracker at Christmas?

According to German folklore, nutcrackers we given as keepsakes to bring luck to the family and protect the home. It is said that they represent strength and power and watches over the family keeping evil spirits and danger away.

What is the moral of The Nutcracker?

Clara learned that she possess the power she needs to make her dreams come true. Confidence and execution are key. Friends don't hurt each other on purpose. There was a character that smiled and cheered on Clara the entire time until she got what she wanted.

Is The Nutcracker a Christmas thing?

The origin of the Nutcracker, a classic Christmas Story, is a fairy tale ballet in two acts centered on a family's Christmas Eve celebration. Alexandre Dumas Père's adaptation of the story by E.T.A. Hoffmann was set to music by Tchaikovsky and originally choreographed by Marius Petipa.

Why is the soldier called The Nutcracker?

Why are they called wooden toy soldier nutcrackers? Because the first nutcrackers were made as replicas of soldiers and other figures of authority. The common folk took great enjoyment in having the ruling people working for them, cracking their "hard nuts of life".

What is the real story of The Nutcracker?

The story of The Nutcracker is loosely based on the E.T.A. Hoffmann fantasy story The Nutcracker and the Mouse King, about a girl who befriends a nutcracker that comes to life on Christmas Eve and wages a battle against the evil Mouse King.

Is The Nutcracker German or Russian?

The Nutcracker (Russian: Щелкунчик, tr. Shchelkunchik listen (help. info)) is an 1892 two-act ballet ("fairy ballet"; Russian: балет-феерия, balet-feyeriya), originally choreographed by Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov with a score by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (Op. 71).

What is the origin of The Nutcracker?

Wooden Solider Nutcracker The standing wooden soldier nutcracker, the iconic nutcracker that we know today, was first made in the Sonneberg and Ezerberge regions of eastern Germany in the early 19th century. In 1872, Wilhelm Fuchtner made the first commercial production of the wooden nutcrackers.

How did The Nutcracker become a holiday tradition?

The second rising of the nutcracker came after the first performance of The Nutcracker Ballet in St. Petersburg of December 1892. From there, the ballet swept across the globe until finding a warm welcome here in the United States. The ballet became an instead classic and Nutcracker began a holiday tradition.

What Is the General Story of “The Nutcracker”?

Origin story of the Nutcracker – The German Village Shop Hahndorf

The Nutcracker | Summary, History, & Facts | Britannica

Nutcracker Story - Bedtimeshortstories

Where did the nutcracker come from?

The most famous nutcracker carvings come from Sonneberg in Thuringia (also a center of dollmaking) and as part of the industry of wooden toymaking in the Ore Mountains.

What is a lever nutcracker?

Lever nutcrackers with hazelnuts. A nutcracker is a tool designed to open nuts by cracking their shells. There are many designs, including levers, screws, and ratchets. The lever version is also used for cracking lobster and crab shells.

Why do people put nutcrackers under their pillows?

An old belief among the Malay people in Southeast Asia states that an areca nutcracker ( kacip pinang) can be placed under a baby's pillow to prevent any harm from paranormal creatures.

When was the screw nutcracker invented?

Alternative designs. In the 17th century, screw nutcrackers were introduced that applied more gradual pressure to the shell, some like a vise. The spring-jointed nutcracker was patented by Henry Quackenbush in 1913.

Why are nutcrackers placed on tables?

The nutcrackers were placed on dining tables to serve as a fun and entertaining center of conversation while diners awaited their final course . At one time, nutcrackers were actually made of metals such as brass, and it was not until the 1800s in Germany that the popularity of wooden ones began to spread.

What is the Nutcracker ballet based on?

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky 's ballet The Nutcracker, based on a story by E. T. A. Hoffmann, derives its name from this festive holiday decoration.

What materials were used to make a nutcracker?

Materials included metals such as silver, cast-iron and bronze, and wood including boxwood, especially those from France and Italy. More rarely, porcelain was used. Many of the wooden carved nutcrackers were in the form of people and animals.

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Words nearby The Nutcracker

The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

How to use The Nutcracker in a sentence

France 24 is providing live, round-the-clock coverage of both scenes as they progress.

What is the story of the Nutcracker?

What Is the General Story of "The Nutcracker"? "The Nutcracker" is the story of Clara, a little girl who is given a wooden nutcracker as a Christmas gift by the mysterious Dr. Drosselmeyer. That night, she experiences the nutcracker's battle with an army of mice and his transformation into a handsome prince.

What does the Nutcracker do in Sweets?

The nutcracker leads an army of toy soldiers to defeat them. He battles the Mouse King successfully and turns into a prince. He and Clara board an enchanted sleigh to journey to the Kingdom of Sweets.

What happens to Clara in the second act of The Nutcracker?

They are entertained by several performances from inhabitants of the kingdom. At the close of the celebration, Clara falls asleep. She awakens in bed and is saluted by the Nutcracker Prince.

Who salutes Marie in The Nutcracker?

She awakens in bed and is saluted by the Nutcracker Prince. "The Nutcracker" was based on a story by E.T.A. Hoffman called "The Nutcracker and the Mouse King.". While the original story was centered around a girl named Marie and was considered dark and scary, French writer Alexandre Dumas adapted it to be much lighter.

Who is Clara's parents in the ballet?

In the first act of the ballet, Clara's parents, the Stahlbaums, throw a Christmas party. Dr. Drosselmeyer, who entertains the children with magic tricks, gives Clara the nutcracker. That night, Clara wakes up at midnight to see her room filled with giant mice who attack her.

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Overview

A nutcracker is a tool designed to open nuts by cracking their shells. There are many designs, including levers, screws, and ratchets. The lever version is also used for cracking lobster and crab shells.
A decorative version portrays a person whose mouth forms the jaws of the nutcracker.

Functions

Nuts were historically opened using a hammer and anvil, often made of stone. Some nuts such as walnuts can also be opened by hand, by holding the nut in the palm of the hand and applying pressure with the other palm or thumb, or using another nut.
Manufacturers produce modern functional nutcrackers usually somewhat resembling pliers, but with the pivot point at the end beyond the nut, rather than in the middle. These are also used for c…

For crustaceans

The plier-type nutcracker is also often used for cracking the hard shells of cooked crab and lobster, and sometimes called a crab (claw) or lobster cracker.

Decorative

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 …

Other uses

Some artists, among them the multi-instrumentalist Mike Oldfield, have used the sound nutcrackers make in music.
An old belief among the Malay people in Southeast Asia states that an areca nutcracker (kacip pinang) can be placed under a baby's pillow to prevent any harm from paranormal creatures.

In animals

Many animals shell nuts to eat them, including using tools. The Capuchin monkey is a fine example. Parrots use their beaks as natural nutcrackers, in much the same way smaller birds crack seeds. In this case, the pivot point stands opposite the nut, at the jaw, or the beak.

External links

• Black Walnut Crackers

The Nutcracker - What Does It Mean?

  • The precise point on the male body where the nuts meet the asscrack; tends to be easily irritated by cheap underwear and rough toilet paper 👍83 👎27
See more on definder.net

The Nutcracker - Meaning

  • The expression for what you do with your buttcheeks when you need to really need to hold in your fart. Called "nutcracking" because you clench your cheeks so tightly that you could crack a walnut(or some other kind of nut) in between them. 👍45 👎13
See more on definder.net

The Nutcracker - Definition

  • the infamous top bar on the frames of male bicycles which is so ironic and so-called for obvious reasons 👍79 👎19
See more on definder.net

The Nutcracker

  • A 14 inch wooden man who will guard your house, typically resembling a king or soldier usually holding a sword, axe, or staff. These men are almost always sold around Christmas Time. 👍69 👎15
See more on definder.net

1.What Is a Nutcracker? A Short History - LiveAbout

Url:https://www.liveabout.com/what-is-a-nutcracker-1007002

6 hours ago  · A nutcracker is an instrument used to crack nuts, typically consisting of two hinged metal levers between which the nut is squeezed. The tool is designed to crack open all …

2.Nutcracker - Wikipedia

Url:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nutcracker

5 hours ago Definition of nutcracker. : an implement for cracking nuts. Example Sentences Phrases Containing nutcracker Learn More About nutcracker.

3.Nutcracker Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster

Url:https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nutcracker

2 hours ago Nutcracker noun. a European bird (Nucifraga caryocatactes), allied to the magpie and crow. Its color is dark brown, spotted with white. It feeds on nuts, seeds, and insects. Nutcracker noun. …

4.The Nutcracker: what is it? What does it mean? - Definder

Url:https://www.definder.net/the_Nutcracker/

8 hours ago Nutcracker as a noun means An implement used to crack nuts, typically consisting of two hinged metal levers between which the nut is squeezed.. Dictionary Thesaurus

5.What does nutcracker mean? - Definitions.net

Url:https://www.definitions.net/definition/nutcracker

22 hours ago The Nutcracker, Russian Shchelkunchik, ballet by Pyotr Tchaikovsky. The story of The Nutcracker is loosely based on the E.T.A. Hoffmann fantasy story The Nutcracker and the Mouse King, …

6.Urban Dictionary: nutcracker

Url:https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=nutcracker

3 hours ago The nutcracker definition at Dictionary.com, a free online dictionary with pronunciation, synonyms and translation. Look it up now!

7.The nutcracker Definition & Meaning | Dictionary.com

Url:https://www.dictionary.com/browse/the-nutcracker

12 hours ago  · By Staff Writer Last Updated March 25, 2020. “The Nutcracker” is the story of Clara, a little girl who is given a wooden nutcracker as a Christmas gift by the mysterious Dr. …

8.What Is the General Story of "The Nutcracker"?

Url:https://www.reference.com/world-view/general-story-nutcracker-e4a27ea5ea61c1c3

26 hours ago

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