The Nutcracker performed by the Turkish State Opera and Ballet in Türkiye Dec 22, 2025

The Nutcracker performed by the Turkish State Opera and Ballet in Türkiye

As Christmas approaches, each sunset gives way to a glow of festive lights, bringing a touch of wonder and preparing us for the holiday season. One of the world"s most beloved stage works, "The Nutcracker," is rooted in this very sense of magic. The story unfolds on Christmas Eve, in the midst of holiday cheer, when Clara receives a nutcracker as a gift. As night falls and the household drifts into sleep, the little girl and her nutcracker embark on a fantastical journey—battling the Mouse King and wandering through the Land of Sweets. Among its most famous moments is the dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy—the ruler of the Land of Sweets—accompanied by music that has become iconic. Tchaikovsky composed these enchanting melodies for the celesta, an instrument often called the bell-piano.

© Anadolu/Getty Images

palette

Today in History

Dec 22, 2018Night of the ‘Cold Moon’
Dec 22, 2019You ve never seen anything like this
Dec 22, 2020A holiday beacon of light
Dec 22, 2021Illuminating Annecy
Dec 22, 2022Galeries Lafayette, Paris
Dec 22, 2023Ljubljana, Slovenia
Dec 22, 2024Christmas tree at Crystal Pier, San Diego, California

More Desktop Wallpapers:

May 20, 2023World Bee Day
Aug 25, 2024National Park Service Founders Day
Apr 18, 2025International Day for Monuments and Sites
May 25, 2025Butchart Gardens in Brentwood Bay, British Columbia, Canada
Dec 31, 2022New Year s Eve in Sydney, Australia
Mar 26, 2019The forecast calls for blooms
Apr 6, 2019Make way for robots
Aug 20, 2019Lakeside serenity in Finland
May 2, 2026Jasper National Park in Alberta, Canada
Jan 13, 2018Fire-damaged forest near Wolf Creek Pass, Colorado
May 22, 2022International Day for Biological Diversity
Oct 1, 2019It s Coffee Day
Jan 26, 2026Neuschwanstein Castle, Bavaria, Germany
Jul 5, 2018Does it swim in slow motion too?
Apr 17, 2020It s a ruff life
Oct 4, 2020Infrared Jupiter, erupting Io
Apr 28, 2021Coming home to roost
Feb 27, 2019A predator at risk
Apr 1, 2021Why do elephants hide in trees?
Apr 15, 2023World Art Day
May 12, 2023Wild lupines
Jul 30, 2025International Day of Friendship
Apr 7, 2024International Beaver Day
Apr 13, 2020Floating temples in the Land of Smiles
Oct 13, 2018‘Hello’ from zero degrees longitude
Oct 11, 2025World Migratory Bird Day
Aug 6, 2019Storks ready for takeoff
Jul 16, 2024Festival of British Archaeology
Apr 17, 2026International Bat Appreciation Day
Oct 14, 2024Celebrating Indigenous Peoples Day