Christmas is enhanced by so many wonderful legends, characters and traditions. One of my favorites is the tradition of the nutcracker – both in decorating and, of course, the famous ballet.

Nutcrackers are highly collectible, with a wide variety of styles, sizes, characters and quality out there. The best are German made, and serious collectors steer clear of today’s many cheap imitations.

Other European countries known for quality wooden nutcrackers include Italy, France and Switzerland.

German nutcrackers are usually hand crafted to be strong and last. The wood is carefully chosen and the trims are securely attached so they won’t fall apart after one season.

Antique nutcrackers that are made of iron or other metals also are collected by enthusiasts and include useful lever and screw designs. Brass squirrels with pull tails, court jesters, elephants and other brass models have proved popular. Even naughty designs featuring women have been made over the years.

But the nutcracker most people associate with the holidays is the typical German soldier look of a wooden doll with an open mouth to chomp nuts. The Steinbach company is the best known maker of these nutcrackers in today’s market. Others include Ulbricht, Glasser and Seiffener Volkskunst.

Steinbach got the collecting world going when it produced a limited edition nutcracker Ludwig II, creating only 3,000 of this item. Today Steinbach creates countless characters including kings, politicians, pop characters and cultural icons.

Limited edition 2014 characters include several 12 Days of Christmas figures, a Blue Elvis nutcracker, a 21-inch Prince Nutcracker, a Night Before Christmas Mouse nutcracker and more (visit steinbachnutcrackers.com).

According to the Steinbach folks, German folklore records the tradition of nutcrackers given as gifts. These strong and useful gifts were considered keepsakes and good luck charms, protecting the home of the owner as they stood straight and tall with a fierce expression on their painted faces.

Wooden nutcracker enthusiasts often collect wooden smokers too, the incense burning cousins of the nutcracker. Smokers are very similar in design but have a removable body part that includes a spot for incense to be placed and burned, thus creating the image of a smoking man, as the incense smoke rises through the carved mouth of the character.

Popular smoker models include santas and snowmen, bakers and brewers and skiers. Children and adults alike enjoy watching the smoke curl out the mouths of these colorful wooden collectibles.

Carved wooden characters like nutcrackers and smokers are part of a collectible classification that includes other wooden characters attached to corks, tools and hooks, carved by hand and offering a bit of whimsy in the kitchen or bar.

These characters might kiss or perform other feats and are charming in their design. Most are not marked or signed like some of the most collectible of nutcrackers, but they are a wonderful handmade folk art and a tribute to the creativity of the human spirit.

Another collecting note on nutcrackers, smokers and wooden items from Germany is that these collectibles went through the division and reunification of Germany, making their labels and marks important and interesting.

Prior to the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, Germany was divided into East and West, and marks reflect that fact. Often, older nutcrackers are marked with the name Erzebirge and German Democratic Republic, meaning they were made in the East German section of the divided country after World War II.

Erzebirge is the mountainous region, rich in metals and timber, that remains the No. 1 homeland of these lovely sentinels that guard Christmas joy in so many collectors’ homes.

For comments or suggestions on local treasures to be featured in Antique of the Week, Maureen Zambito can be reached via email at: zambitomaureen@hotmail. com or by writing in care of this newspaper.