The Legend of The Christmas Pickle

Few traditions are more peculiar or more endearing than that of the glass Christmas Pickle.

The pickle is said to bring good fortune (or even an extra gift from Father Christmas) for its lucky finder on Christmas morning, and is a tradition now enjoyed in many households across the world.

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The origin of the glass Christmas Pickle ornament is unclear.  In the U.S., it is said to be a custom brought over from Germany. But according to a YouGov.de survey from 2016, only 8% of Germans knew of the pickle story, or Weihnachtsgurke as it is supposedly called, and far fewer practised the tradition.

The current best guess is that the story was created by a marketeer in the late 19^th century to help encourage sales of new glass blown vegetable decorations brought across to America from Northern Europe.

One rather far-fetched story traces the Christmas Pickle back to a fortunate escape in the American Civil War.

A starving captured German-American soldier regained his strength and determination for life after the guard took pity on him on Christmas Eve and gave him a pickle.

In gratitude, he hung a pickle on his Christmas tree the following year.

We’re not sure this story has any genuine origin, but it would make a heck of a Hallmark Christmas movie!

Regardless of how it began, the legend of the Christmas Pickle has now been around for well over 100 years. 

And it is sufficiently well known to have sprouted a host of decorative glass gherkin-shaped ornaments in numerous countries around the world!

Indeed pickle-producing town Berrien Springs in Michigan, U.S.A. was once nicknamed the Christmas Pickle Capital of the World by Pickle Packers International (trade group for the pickle industry) and held an annual Christmas Pickle Festival until the early 2000s! 

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Let’s sprinkle Christmas cheer far and wide!

Nowadays, the pickle is generally hidden on the tree ahead of Christmas Day and the finder on Christmas morning is the first recipient of a gift from under the tree.  

We think that a game of ornament hide-and-seek sounds like the kind of family festive fun that Christmas should inspire regardless of its mysterious origins!

Get your own Christmas pickle ornament and join in the fun.  You can find these gherkin decorations relatively easily around the UK now.

We love this one from Westmon Works which comes complete with box and story as a beautiful heirloom treasure.

However there are simpler unwrapped designs available such as these by Sass & Belle.

Why not add them as unusual table favours at a Christmas dinner for your guests to take home for their trees?

Or you could hide a bunch on your own tree ahead of a December children’s party to be found and taken home as an alternative to party bags.

However you decide to enjoy your Christmas pickles this year, we’ll leave you with one final musical thought courtesy of Firehouse Dallas.

Do you have any other unusual ornament traditions in your family?  We’d love to hear about them.  Add a comment below.