"Dreams are strangely familiar places."
I grew up with an artificial Christmas tree, so "putting up the tree" really meant helping Dad stick color-coded branches into a pole. As we dressed the boughs in white lights, ornaments, strings of popcorn, and snow from a spray can, my parents always had a recorded VHS of the Nutcracker ballet playing in the background.
To me and so many others, the Nutcracker is a holiday tradition. The story takes place at Christmastime and lets us imagine a world where our presents spring to life. This particular 1986 production embraces the story's whimsy, with set and costume design by artist Maurice Sendak (illustrator of "Where the Wild Things Are"). 
As a child, I remember being really inspired by the magic of it all. There's a scene (this scene) where a very tiny Clara throws her shoe at the giant, three-headed Mouse King, slaying him. The king melts away, leaving only his cavernous overcoat behind. Clara steps into the sleeve of the overcoat and finds herself in the Nutcracker's magical world. Let's just say that, growing up, I checked for magic in a lot of coat sleeves.
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