September 29, 2023

Bricks Of Christmas Past – Day 5

A Look at LEGO® Christmas Sets From Past to Present

Welcome back to the 12 Bricks of Christmas Past! This is my countdown of traditional Christmas subjects done over the years in LEGO® form. Seasonal LEGO® sets are always a huge hit over the holidays. So for the next 12 days – the traditional Christmas amount – I’m going to look at a particular subject and see the offerings past to present. There’s some fun stuff to explore so check back each day 😉 Click below for previous articles and read on for today’s topic!

The Bricks of Christmas Past continues with another Day. Grab some walnuts and get crakin’ with Nutcrackers! These traditional Christmas dolls originate from late 17th Century Germany. They are a very traditional feature of the holidays in Europe. A typical nutcracker resembles a toy soldier and has a very distinctive military look. And they also serve a practical purpose that’s in the name – they crack open nuts. The mouth closes with some decent force, and crunch! You have access to nuts. Today’s topic doesn’t take us tooooo far back in time but there’s a few fun sets to look at. I apologize for this obvious pun….Let’s get crackin’.

Nutcracker / Employee Gift / 2017 / #4002017 / 732 pcs

We introduced the LEGO® Employee Gift with yesterday’s topic. This Nutcracker has great detail and is done in a very decent scale. The height is great and the details on the uniform are quite lovely. I also like the use of technic elements for a unique look. And like most nutcrackers, this one does have the requisite moving parts.

Nutcracker / Seasonal GWP / 2017 / #40254 / 230 pcs

Concurrent with the Employee Gift is this smaller seasonal GWP. The details are all there and the mouth does open thanks to a small lever on the back. You can practically hear the Tchaikovsky playing in the background.

Friends Advent Calendar / Seasonal / 2018 / #41353 / 25 pcs

Here we have another microbuild from a 2018 Friends Advent Calendar. It’s a cute little fireplace with a tiny nutcracker.

Nutcracker / Brickheadz / 2020 / #40425 / 180 pcs

Our last Bricks of Christmas Past set is a 2020’s Brickheadz version. Seasonal Brickheadz make for fun gifts and cute display pieces. This one gives me “Santa-cosplaying-as-a-nutcracker” vibes, and I’m digging it.

You Wanna Get Nuts? Let’s Get Nuts!

And that’s day 5 of Bricks of Christmas Past my friends. I can’t say I or my family ever decorated with these little guys. But I definitely know families that do. I get the appeal, but often enough those faces are….unsettling. But hopefully you enjoyed today’s article. Please visit every day at this time to check out the newest topic. Do you collect or have any nutrcrackers? Are they a bygone tool long since replaced by hammers and Magic Bullets? Please comment below and on our social channels to let me know. And as always, keep on crackin’ – er – brickin’. 🧱

-Frank

Want to support True North Bricks?

If you like the content at True North Bricks, please follow on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, LinkedIn, or YouTube for regular updates. Additionally, you can support True North Bricks by making your LEGO® (and other) purchases using the links in the menu to the right. As an affiliate of those retailers, we earn from qualifying purchases. These earnings come at no extra cost to you but help to the keep the content at True North Bricks free. Thanks for your support!