Nutcrackers on Parade (473 Piece Christmas Wooden Jigsaw Puzzle)

For most people, Christmas nutcrackers that look like little toy soldiers bring visions of sugarplum fairies, and first trips to the ballet come to mind.  But the Nutcracker, with its rich and fascinating history, actually originated from the Ore Mountains in Germany. The first wooden version appeared in the 17th Century, marking the beginning of a tradition that has endured for centuries. In German tradition, they are symbols of good luck and are supposed to frighten away malevolent spirits. One popular origin myth holds that a wealthy but lonely farmer who found the process of cracking nuts detrimental to his productivity (efficiency even pervades German folklore!) offered a reward to whoever could come up with the best solution. Each villager drew on his own professional expertise—a carpenter advocating sawing them open, a soldier shooting the suckers. But the puppetmaker won the day, building a strong-jawed, lever-mouthed doll. They became popular in the United States after the S