The crazy reason people are putting pickle ornaments on their Christmas trees will have you wondering if you should have one of your own...
The tradition of the Christmas Pickle is pretty spectacular. If you notice someone has a pickle ornament in their Christmas tree, it might just be your lucky day!
Traditionally, hosts hide the pickle ornament in their Christmas tree, and the person who finds it would get a special gift or a present. Having a Christmas Pickle hidden in your Christmas tree is a great way to add a little game to your holiday fun. The person who finds the pickle gets a small reward, or they are blessed with a year of good luck.
The Origins of the Pickle Ornament
This fun tradition has a few different origin stories. Many people thought the story originated in Germany. Rumor has it, though, that Woolworth's originally started selling the pickles in the 1890s in America. It's likely that many people associated the Christmas Pickle with Germany because imported German ornaments were a popular item at the time. In fact, the Christmas Pickle tradition is completely unknown in Germany, and the tradition is kept alive entirely in North America.
Another alleged origination of the Christmas Pickle tradition is from the American Civil War era. According to Wikipedia, a Private in the 103rd Pennsylvania Infantry was captured in April of 1864 and taken as a prisoner of war. The legend goes that Private John C. Lower, the soldier who was captured by the Confederacy, begged a guard for a pickle while he was close to starving. Thankfully, the Confederate soldier gave Private Lower the pickle, which ended up saving him from starvation. So every Christmas Private Lower was said to have hidden a pickle in his family Christmas tree as a sign of good luck.
Another origin story of the Christmas Pickle story includes good old Saint Nick himself. As the story goes, St. Nicholas saved two young Spanish children who were locked away in a pickle barrel by a mean innkeeper. This story originates from Berrien Springs, Michigan, where they have an annual pickle festival every year to celebrate the Christmas Pickle and their German heritage.
Whichever origin you think may be true, this fun holiday tradition has captured the hearts of people all over America for many decades.
