The Nutcracker

I am all about family traditions around the holidays! And with Martin’s family coming over to the US for Christmas this year it gave us a chance to share some Gimbel family traditions (fresh crab and homemade raviolis), incorporate some Breuer family traditions (Annegret’s plated Christmas Eve veal and chicken ragout) and develop some of our own traditions for Oskar (Christmas Eve service at the Norwegian church and New Year’s Eve dinner at Cafe Maddelena’s in Dunsmuir.)

One tradition I was excited to share with Martin's family this year and eventually introduce to Oskar when he is old enough was going to see the SF Ballet’s Nutcracker.  One of my favorite memories growing up was going to see the Nutcracker in San Francisco during the holidays.  It was always a magical evening with the dancing snowflakes, Sugar Plum Fairy and Russian dancers (my favorite)…and It was a family tradition that I have embraced and look forward to passing along.   Or so I thought.  Upon mentioning this tradition to the Breuers over Christmas Eve dinner my parents both looked at me like I was crazy and proceeded to burst my bubble by saying we had never been to the SF nutcracker. 

Say what?!

How is this possible?  I have vivid memories of seeing the Nutcracker every year growing up and knew most of the songs and dances when Martin and I rekindled the “tradition” a few years ago.  If this was untrue, what else from my childhood had I made up?!  My world has been rocked… It took a few days and a few good laughs to get over this confusion and embarrassment…   So even though it turns out this was not a tradition growing up, it is one I would like to continue going forward. 

Side Note:  After a few follow up questions and discussions with the family we agreed that we most likely went to the SF Nutcracker twice growing up and for a few other years I watched dances from the Nutcracker during the annual Holiday Performance of my dance company.   Combine this with my memories of going to San Francisco to see the Macy’s window displays and it is feasible that I merged the two memories.