The Christmas Nutcracker Trail in Helston High Street provides festive fun for all the family. As part of the Christmas Late Night Shopping organised by Helston Chamber of Commerce & Industry, everyone is invited to hunt down the ten nutcracker toy soldiers displayed in shops and cafés along the Town Centre’s streets. The toy soldiers could be displayed in the window or inside the shop.

 

Pick up a FREE Nutcracker Trail map from Bowdens Home Hardware. Write down on the back of the map the ten shops and cafés along Meneage Street and Coinagehall Street that have a nutcracker displayed. Then drop off the map at Gilchrist Exotics at the top of Meneage Street.

 

The standing wooden Christmas nutcracker, that has become iconic as a festive season decoration around the world was first made in eastern Germany in the early 19th century. In 1872, Wilhelm Fuchtner made the first commercial production of the wooden nutcracker toy soldiers.

 

Then in 1892, Tchaikovsky's famous ballet debuted. The Nutcracker ballet was based on a Christmas story called The Nutcracker and the Mouse King first published in 1816. The ballet with the dance of the Nutcracker toy soldiers, and the sugar plum fairy, became wildly successful. As the ballet is set on Christmas Eve and the hero is a nutcracker that comes to life, the toy nutcracker soldiers quickly became associated with the holiday season.

 

The wooden dolls symbolise good luck in German tradition. And we wish you good luck with Helston’s Nutcracker Trail. This is your chance to explore Helston High Street with a chance to win a surprise gift.

 

It's easy to join the Nutcracker Trail. Pick up a free map from Bowdens Home Hardware. Simply write down on the back of the map the names of the ten shops and cafés where you’ve located the nutcracker toy soldiers. Drop off your completed map at Gilchrist Exotics shop at the top of Meneage Street.

 

Ho! Ho! Ho! Happy hunting in the High Street #nutcrackerhelston