Christmas Pickle

This year we decided to try and start a new tradition. It’s called the Christmas Pickle…have you heard of it? I have a few friends who have this tradition in their families and it has always intrigued me. Last weekend I saw one of these cute glass pickle ornaments at St. Nick’s and talked John into buying it. I thought it would be a nice way to celebrate his German heritage.

Glass Christmas pickles have become very popular ornaments and they usually come with a copy of the German legend printed on the box. The legend states that in Germany parents would decorate the tree on Christmas Eve after the children had gone to bed. The last ornament added to the tree is always a glass pickle. It is hidden somewhere deep in the branches. Then on Christmas morning the festivities can not begin until one of the children locates the hidden pickle. The one who finds it gets to receive an extra treat or gift left by Santa Claus.

At least that’s how the story is told here in America. The oddest part about this whole pickle legend is that it’s virtually unknown in Germany and nobody really knows who started it. So I went searching on the internet and while I did discover that most Christmas traditions originated in Germany…I didn’t find anything linking them to the pickle legend.

Although the root of this tradition is a mystery, we still think it's a cute ideas. We decided in our family that instead of St. Nick leaving an extra gift or a treat, the person who finds the pickle gets to play Santa on Christmas morning and pass out the gifts.

Boy do I wish my German mother-in-law Erika were here to set us straight on this whole pickle tradition. She loved Christmas so much and we all miss her even more this time of year.