I can picture a wooden bowl of mixed nuts, all in their shells. A hinged metal nutcracker (sold as a seafood cracking tool, too) at the ready. I can hear the splitting of a walnut shell. The resistance of an almond shell. The Brazil nuts were especially hard to crack.
Seems these days the nuts are already shelled.
I’m pretty sure I still have one in a kitchen drawer. Do you use a nutcracker?
This time of year you see the wooden decorative nutcrackers on a mantle or hanging nutcracker ornaments on a Christmas tree.

Yes on nutcracker. We still have a bowl of nuts in the house around Christmas.
Can’t say that I do but I’ve met a few! Dc
My mom did. I buy mine pre-shelled.
We used nutcrackers on the farm when I was growing up. They can be a bit messy though. I have one in my drawer but only tend to use it to open bottles.
I remember the hinged metal nutcracker pulled out every Christmas as a child. Now? Nope.
I do have one somewhere in one of my kitchen drawers. And must find it because I just bought 2 bags of nuts in shells for fall decor. Filled a bowl with those and tangerines.
These are cute. We used to have one but it might have been a casualty of the move to Portugal, Ruth.
When we were young our family always had a bowl of a variety of nuts during the holidays. I remember the hinged metal nutcracker. I also remember a metal pick, used to pick nuts from the shells, that came with it. We have a set like it here somewhere. We do not have nuts now so we never use it. Another family tradition gone to the ages I am afraid.
When I was a kid the mom of one of my friends always had a big wooden bowl filled with walnuts-in-the-shell in their living room, and 2 silver nutcrackers. (Very streamlined affairs, not like the nutcrackers of the ballet fame.) I still remember cracking those nuts and eating them – less for the taste, more for the uniqueness of the experience.
It’s funny what memories stick around….