Nutcracker

A nutcracker is a mechanical device for cracking open the shells of nuts. Nutcrackers are usually made of a lever which squeezes the shell of a nut until it cracks open. The earliest use of the term "nutcracker" in English dates to 1481.

A nutcracker with a functional design

The orchestral suite of selections from The Nutcracker premiered in March 1892. The ballet itself debuted later that same year in December. This premiere took place at St. Petersburg's Mariinsky Theatre, where it was paired with Tchaikovsky's one-act opera, Iolanta. In a candid letter to a friend, Tchaikovsky expressed his disappointment with the reception, noting that while the opera seemed to please the audience, the ballet was not as well-received. He even described it as somewhat tedious despite its lavish presentation. Comparatively, he regarded it unfavorably against his earlier work, referring to it as "infinitely worse than Sleeping Beauty," the second of his trio of ballets, preceded by Swan Lake.

The nutcracker's first design was created in 1567 and became widely available in the mid 17th century.