Christmas is a festive period full of traditions. From trimming the Christmas tree to placing cookies for Santa, families treasure their festive customs and pass them down to future generations. One of the more mysterious rituals involves the Christmas pickle ornament.

What Exactly is a Christmas Pickle?

Many kids have grown up with the Christmas pickle tradition. Essentially, it involves concealing a pickle-shaped ornament within the family’s Christmas tree. Unsurprisingly, spotting a green pickle ornament amidst the green tree branches is challenging!

In some households, a parent conceals the pickle ornament in the tree on Christmas Eve, after the children have gone to sleep. In other households, a child is given the privilege of hiding the ornament.

Occasionally, Santa is the one who hides the ornament.

On Christmas morning, children race to be the first to locate the pickle. Their prize could be a special present, the honor of distributing the gifts, or the opportunity to open their gifts first. Some believe that the Christmas pickle brings good fortune to the one who finds it.

The Enigma of the Christmas Pickle

Pickle ornaments are rumored to be an ancient German tradition, although the origin stories are not set in Germany. One tale of the Christmas pickle concerns a German-American Civil War prisoner who pleaded with a guard for a pickle. The man, who was close to death, miraculously survived. Another, more macabre story involves murdered children whose bodies were hidden in a pickle barrel and were resurrected when St. Nicholas tapped the barrel with his staff.

These narratives are fascinating but improbable. It seems more plausible that the pickle ornament tradition gained popularity because, well, Germans enjoy their pickles. Right?

Not necessarily. In fact, there’s little evidence connecting Christmas pickles to Germany – or to Santa’s midnight visit. For starters, St. Nicholas visits German children on December 6, St. Nicholas Day. Additionally, German families traditionally open gifts together on Christmas Eve, so hiding the pickle on that night doesn’t add up.

In November 2016, YouGov found that 91% of Germans surveyed were unaware of the Christmas pickle tradition. Overall, only 2% of Germans practiced the custom that has become so widespread in America.

According to a New York Times article, an ornament maker from Lauscha, Germany, where blown glass Christmas ornaments originated, only learned about the Christmas pickle tradition during a visit to the U.S. in the 1990s! His glass factory now manufactures thousands of pickles annually.

What’s the Real Story Behind the Christmas Pickle?

It’s highly probable that the Christmas pickle ornament legend has only a scant link to Germany and that it took root in the U.S. due to astute marketing.

Woolworth’s department store in New York City was among the first American stores to import blown glass Christmas ornaments from Germany in the 1880s. Fruits and vegetables were common early ornament themes – including pickles. However, the pickle Christmas ornaments didn’t sell as well as other styles.

It’s possible that a quick-thinking 19th-Century Woolworth’s clerk boosted the odd ornament’s popularity by fabricating a legend around it. German immigrants, in particular, might have found the green glass gherkin more appealing if they believed they were upholding a tradition from their homeland.

Today, thousands of Christmas pickle ornaments are sold each year. Some even come with the pickle ornament story attached or a pickle poem explaining the tradition.

Regardless of the authenticity of the Christmas pickle story, hiding the pickle in the Christmas tree is a cherished family tradition that continues to flourish.

To begin your own family Christmas pickle tradition, explore our collection of pickle ornaments!  

You may also enjoy:  
5 Christmas Ornament Styles You’ll See More of in 2023  
All Aboard for Holiday Spirit: Experience the Magic of Christmas Trains  
Christmas Central Resources: Christmas Traditions

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