The Christmas Pickle Tradition And Where Did It Come From?

We all come from different families and have different traditions. One tradition my family did when I was growing up and still do today, is the Christmas pickle.

I literally thought my mom was crazy when she told the family that we should start doing this every year. Basically It's a plastic ornament in the shape of pickle and it's hidden somewhere in the tree. The objective is whoever finds the pickle on Christmas morning, gets a bonus present! Last year, it was a box of alcoholic chocolates.

Get our free mobile app

I was really curious to know the origin story so I grabbed a shovel and started digging into the great depths of the internet. To my surprise I couldn't find an exact story. Some say it started in Germany to get us to buy glass Christmas ornaments from there and others say it started in the 19th century in the United States.

Some stories even say if you find the pickle you get good fortune or a special treat.

So where did this pickle tradition come from? Who knows, but it is pretty fun trying to be the first person to find it. It's always hard for me because I'm color blind and both the pickle and the tree are green.

Speaking of Holiday Traditions, check out these light displays: