One Christmas, a young girl named Marie receives a nutcracker doll as a gift from her godfather, Herr Drosselmeyer. However, her brother Fritz accidentally breaks the doll, and Marie tenderly cares for it with great devotion. From that moment on, the story unfolds with the breaking of the Mouse Queen’s curse, leading the Nutcracker—revealed to be a prince from the Land of Dolls—back to his true form. Through Marie’s sincere love, the tale concludes with the two living happily ever after.
This year’s lantern is a traditional Hanji lantern inspired by one of the most beloved Korean folktales among children: Granny Red Bean Porridge and the Tiger . Once upon a time, deep in the mountains, there lived an old woman who cultivated red beans. She was so skilled at making red bean porridge that people called her “Granny Red Bean Porridge.” One peaceful day, a tiger the size of a house suddenly appeared and threatened to eat her. Granny pleaded, “I don’t mind dying, but if I do, who will make this delicious porridge? Come back in the snowy winter. You can enjoy the porridge then—and eat me if you still want to.” She barely managed to persuade the tiger to leave. Left with no one to turn to, the old woman wept alone. Just then, the items in her home—her carrying frame, a straw mat, an awl, some dung, an egg, and even a softshell turtle—gathered around and told her not to worry. When winter came and the tiger returned on the day of the winter solstice, Granny and her loyal “fri...
