Christmas

A Pickle in the Christmas Tree?

Have you heard of this tradition? I was working on my Christmas conference (which I’m hoping to offer to companies as a special holiday activity – spread the word to your boss!), and I came across this rather strange custom. Do you put a pickle in your Christmas tree?

Well, there is such a thing!

Photo: Richard Huber

How Did I Hear About It?

I visited a wonderful Christmas store in Rivière-du-Loup and… they were selling Christmas pickles. It’s really cute: a little cucumber-shaped “ball” with a Christmas toque. But… why?

The nice lady told me that in Germany, one of the main producers of blown glass decorations, children were taught not to touch the fragile baubles on the Christmas tree by hiding a pickle between the branches on Christmas morning. The first child to find it, with his hands firmly behind his back, was rewarded with a present.

It’s a wonderful tradition, and I’ve based my Christmas talk on it: the origins of holiday plants, their history, their special features…

… Imagine my disappointment when I learned that this tradition actually originated in the United States!

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The True Origin

Like any good scientist, I check my sources several times. And as I dug around, I learned that this strange tradition has nothing to do with the fragility of the balls, and that 9 out of 10 Germans had never even heard of it… So where does it come from, and more importantly, why attribute it to the Germans?

Actually, it’s not very clear! According to the stories, either a soldier was saved from starvation by a pickle, or children were saved from imprisonment by hiding in a barrel of pickles. I have my doubts about both of these stories, but the fact is that one day, towards the end of the 19th century, someone in the United States saw fit to honor the pickle by using it as an ornament on their majestic Christmas tree. Personally, I think a gardener was simply bored with his vegetable garden…

Oh, and where does the German connection come from? Back then, it was mostly wealthy families who had a tree in their home. Since English and German immigrants of the time were generally well-to-do, they were more likely to have a tree… and a gherkin ornament! What’s more, around the same time, a German ornament manufacturer began producing blown glass ornaments in the shape of fruit and nuts. These two links with Germany explain why this tradition has been wrongly attributed to them.

The Pickle in the Tree Today

Nevertheless, it’s a fine tradition: the child who finds the pickle on Christmas morning is entitled to a gift and good fortune for the year.

Berrien Springs, a village in Michigan, USA, is the self-proclaimed “Christmas Pickle Capital of the World”. In early December, a parade is organized and fresh pickles are offered. Basically, why not? Any time is a good time to eat a vegetable!

Do you like little Christmas stories about vegetables/fruits from the garden? If you ask really loudly, I’ll be doing a few more during the month of December. (Knowing you, I know you like my little themed series, so I’m getting ready!)

Happy beginning of December to everyone, and may the magic of Christmas (and pickles!) accompany you throughout this month of festivities!

P.S. Do you have anything “strange” in your tree?

Audrey Martel is a biologist who graduated from the University of Montreal. After more than ten years in the field of scientific animation, notably for Parks Canada and the Granby Zoo, she joined Nature Conservancy of Canada to take up new challenges in scientific writing. She then moved into marketing and joined Leo Studio. Full of life and always up for a giggle, or the discovery of a new edible plant, she never abandoned her love for nature and writes articles for both Nature sauvage and the Laidback Gardener.

4 comments on “A Pickle in the Christmas Tree?

  1. I have noticed pickle ornaments, but know nothing of the tradition. Chile pepper ornaments are popular here, and may have been a Californian response to the pickle ornaments, . . . except no one knows the significance without familiarity with the original tradition.

  2. My parents brought a glass pickle ornament back from Germany sometime in the 50’s so the tradition made it to Germany by then and they thought it was German.? My Mother did introduce me to Scandinavian straw ornaments as she always had her special tree with only straw ornaments. A tradition I have continued with slight steps into some wood and other natural materials. Perhaps that is a gardener thing.

  3. Raisa Ghersi

    Thank you very much Audrey, I didn’t know anything about this tradition, very nice indeed.

  4. Mary Louise Milton

    Thank you Audrey, that clarifies the pickle which I found odd when it surfaced several years back. There seems to be a big push more recently. Like most things, marketing has played a big roll in its popularity.
    For me, I’m with Arlo Guthrie and his Motor cycle song “I don’t want to eat a pickle, I just want to ride on my motorcycle”.

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