Stockings with Nutcracker

Christmas stockings with a nutcracker at The Christmas Shop

A Christmas stocking with a nutcracker is one of the most classic choices for those drawn to the old European Christmas style. The image comes straight from the German Erzgebirge, where families have been carving wooden nutcrackers since the seventeenth century in the form of soldiers, kings and chefs. On a stocking they return in embroidered or printed form, often in the same red and green uniforms. The Christmas Shop specialises in nutcrackers, and the stockings in this theme fit naturally alongside the wider collection.

How did the nutcracker become a Christmas figure?

The nutcracker owes its place in Christmas decor to two stories. The first is by E.T.A. Hoffmann, who in 1816 wrote The Nutcracker and the Mouse King, in which a wooden nutcracker comes to life on Christmas Eve. The second is Tchaikovsky's ballet from 1892, based on the same tale, which is still performed every Christmas by ballet companies worldwide. Since those two works, the nutcracker has belonged to Christmas as naturally as Father Christmas himself.

Which Christmas style suits a nutcracker stocking?

A stocking with a nutcracker works best in a traditional German or Erzgebirge style. Pair it with a deep red Christmas tree, wooden ornaments, pinecones and candles in natural tones. For those who collect nutcrackers, our full nutcrackers collection is also online, with handmade pieces by Kurt S. Adler and Steinbach. To compare with the broader range of designs, the Christmas stockingsoverview is the place to start.

The nutcracker among the rest of the mantel

A nutcracker is in his element next to the other classic Christmas figures. Pair him with stockings featuring Father Christmas and stockings with a reindeer for a full European Christmas line-up above the mantel. The nutcracker is the most formal of the company, chin up and uniform pressed. A welcome addition for those who like the more stately end of the Christmas spectrum.