Home » Happy Snowman

Christmas Pickle Ornament Tradition

JHFSEO by JHFSEO
Last updated: 12/22/2011

Have Yourself a Little Pickled Christmas...

Hang your Gerkin High...

Hide your cukes so they are really out of sight...

With apologies to Ralph Blane, so begins this lens on the story of the Christmas Pickle.

You haven't heard of the Christmas Pickle?

Well, gather around...

One Christmas, Santa Claus (or Kris Kringle or Pere Noel, if you like), was late to make his rounds and was hungry.  Knowing he would be able to gorge himself on milk and cookies later, he still had to have a bite to eat before he set out for a long night (you see, Old Saint Nick is a diabetic and has to keep tabs on these things).

Wait, if he's a diabetic, how can he eat all those cookies?

It's Magic, he's Santa.  Do you want to hear this story or not?!

...

Anyway, Santa went to the fridge and the only thing in there was a single pickle (those elves eat like you wouldn't believe).  With no other option, Santa grabbed the gerkin, munched it down and took off.  The pickle was so filling that it sustained him until he got to the first house, and to commemorate this event, Santa left a glass pickle deep inside the tree of the first house he went to.  The child that found it on Christmas Day found an extra special gift in his stocking and had a year of good fortune.

...

Now what?!

Why did Santa have a glass pickle in his bag?  I mean...why would Santa have one?  Surely, the elves wouldn't have the forthought to make one and furthermore...

Look! It was Magic, alright!  The same Magic that allows him to fit into chimneys and through keyholes and travel the world in just one night. 

It's still not a very good story...no, not the belt again!

Annnnd, Scene!

Ok, that didn't go very well.

It's also not the true history of the Christmas Pickle.

Christmas Pickle History, Myth and Tradition

The Christmas Pickle is shrouded in mystery and based on many of the stories, no one is clear on the source. The supposed source of the Christmas Pickle is the story of the Weihnachtsgurke, where Germans would hide a pickle in the tree, and the observant child who found it would get a special gift, while the first adult to notice it would have a year of good fortune.

Apparantly, the Germans have never heard of this - German Christmas Pickle

This site has some additional origin stories that are just as likely as any others - Pickle Stories

Still, the glass Christmas Pickle ornament has become something of a craze, and even if it's origin is a little wonky, it's a nice one to have.

We never had a Christmas Pickle on our tree growing up, but my Dad always hid little things in the tree for us to find, so it felt like the same thing. It's also a neat way to place small boxes or envelopes into your gift pile without them getting lost under big boxes, and for small things you don't want to put in stockings. I continue this tradition in my own home, which is always more entertaining in direct proportion to ingestion of eggnog.

You may want to add the Christmas Pickle to your Christmas traditions, or use it as inspiration for your own.

Purchase a Pack of Pickles

Christmas Pickle Ornaments12 glass pickle ornaments for your tree, and those of your family, friends and relatives.
Give Kris Kringle a break by picking them up from Amazon

Alternate Terms for Christmas Pickle

Yule Frog
Chris-cumber
Pere Petrin
Happy Tree Tsukemono

A Christmas Pickle Story

Join Petra as she goes on a journey of old-tyme Christmas traditions in the fictional kingdom of Vlassika (heh)

Includes over 100 illustrations.
Loading

Christmas Pickles from Amazon

Pick(le) up a Christmas Cuke for your tree.
Loading

In Other News...

...November 14th is National Pickle Day!

Wear green, "Eat a pickle, hug a friend".

Other Christmas Lenses

Loading

Lens of the Day (12/22/2011)

Woohoo!


Thanks to everyone who has visited this lens today and every holiday season, and for all the support!

Thanks to whoever nominated me. You have great taste, and may you always find your pickle!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all!

Christmas Pickles and Other Traditions

Do you hang a Christmas Pickle in your tree every year?

If not, what traditions do you keep around Yuletide?

Merry Christmas - Good Yule - Feliz Navidad

submit
Show All

This Happy Snowman page written by

JHFSEO

Hi all. I develop content for fun and for clients, and enjoy writing on everything that catches my attention including Arizona, sports, politics, civics,... more »

Seasons Greetings from the Wonderland

Connect with Happy Snowman

This author recommends...

12 Pack of Perfectly Precious Christmas Pickles 

(12) One Dozen Hand Blown Glass Pickle Christmas Tree Ornaments for Good Luck Trim-A-Tree Stocking Stuffer or Gift Giving

(12) One Dozen Hand Blown Glass Pickle Christmas Tree Ornaments for Good Luck Trim-A-Tree Stocking Stuffer or Gift Giving

Amazon Price: $12.00 (as of 02/15/2012)Buy Now

Purchase a peck of pickles, put them in your tree, and purvey them to parents, Uncle Paul and Aunt Patty