Let's Crack This Nutcracker Case Wide Open
How a quest for a Black nutcracker realigned my holiday values
This post is a collaboration with Nobody’s Home.
For as long as I can remember, nutcrackers have maintained an unusually strong presence in my life. It started with going to see The Nutcracker and then eventually performing a production when I was 10 years old—my forgetful audition got me the role of a rat and a snowflake. Every year, my grandmother lines up a row of life-size nutcrackers in the front yard to inform the neighborhood that Christmastime is, in fact, here. Within a matter of days, her entire block is lit up from all the twinkling houses spreading cheer.
When “Nutcrackercore” appeared on Etsy’s 2025 Holiday Trend Edit, I was reminded of the quest that I set out on three years ago to find nutcrackers in other skin tones. The results since then have been nothing short of disappointing. Nutcracker Ballet, an online vendor of—you guessed it, nutcrackers!—offers an “African American Gifts” section, but they’re the exception to the rule. The pickings are slim. I don’t identify as a religious person, but this is starting to feel like my cross to bear.
I’m fully aware that the traditional nutcracker was not originally designed to be inclusive. They got their start in Germany in the late 17th century, when woodworkers merely upgraded the tools for nutcracking to something more playful. Then Pyotr Tchaikovsky’s 1892 adaptation of E. T. A. Hoffmann’s The Nutcracker and the Mouse King solidified the rebrand. While this was not the root cause of my teenage identity crisis as a Black girl growing up in South Jersey, I can’t overlook the discomfort of it now that I’m creating holiday traditions of my own as a thirty-something adult.
It’s hard to leave politics out of Christmas when racial identity through our own lived experience is at the center of it all. And to be clear, this is far from an attempt to push a “woke” agenda—I’m just pointing out the obvious. The truth is that we have turned a blind eye to the unapologetic whiteness packaged as “classic” holiday decor for far too long. Enough is enough! This shouldn’t still be the default in 2025. By now, we should have an array of options to choose from. Don’t get me wrong, I’m grateful that Black Santa exists, but he can’t be the only option for a melanated Christmas character. (And besides, what about the elves?!)
The history of Black Santa can be traced back to the 1910s, when he first appeared as a derogatory character in blackface minstrel shows. Through the decades, a new version emerged to rewrite these racist narratives with a vision of solidarity. According to a 2016 report published on the BBC, a milestone moment for Black Santa occurred in 1936 when Bill “Bojangles” Robinson appeared as the “first negro Santa Claus” at a Christmas Eve party for underprivileged children in Harlem. (In previous years, it was a “Nordic Santa” visiting those kids.) And in 1943, Blumstein’s (a now-defunct department store) hired a Black Santa for the sole purpose of attracting shoppers from the Black community. Later, during the civil rights movement, Black Santa became the face of empowerment and economic boycotts. (By the way: For a deep dive on Black Santa, I strongly recommend reading this article published in Comparative American Studies: An International Journal in 2023.)
But here’s the thing: America runs on capitalism, and Black dollars matter—especially when this country is in the midst of a recession. Thanks to brands like Unwrp and Black Paper Party, we now have representation in the world of wrapping paper. If we can have Black Santa and multiethnic wrapping paper, why not better (and more) Black nutcrackers too?
One place to start: Maybe lose the painted face? Wood comes in so many different shades—and I recently found a shopfront on Etsy that sells walnut nutcrackers in a range of colors. So it’s possible! Someday, I’d love to have a burl wood nutcracker. CB2 currently offers a more modern selection of nutcrackers with acrylic, travertine, and marble finishes. Until progress is made in this area, I’ll stick with my Courtly Guard nutcracker from MacKenzie-Childs. Who, by the way, is gold. ⌂
Love the material innovation angle here. The walnut nutcracker insight is genius becuase it sidesteps the whole painted-face debate by celebrating wood grain itself. I actually ran into this same issue last year hunting for diverse ornaments and ended up finding that smaller makers on Etsy were way ahead of big-box retailers. The economic argument matters too, especially when Black spending power keeps growing but options stay stagnant.