What does The Nutcracker mean to you? The tradition of Christmas Nutcracker performances began in the mid-20th century, when American ballet companies discovered just how deeply audiences connected to its festive glow. There was something about the winter magic, the childhood wonder, and the warmth of Tchaikovsky’s music that felt perfectly at home in December — as if the season had been waiting for it all along. Little by little, families began returning year after year, and what started as a p