Christmas Pickle Tree Ornament

Christmas Pickle Tree Ornament

Christmas time is full of family, magic, tradition, and storytelling – and one story in particular is classically German. But, if you were to ask a German, they might know the story for the wrong reasons. Let us explain! The Christmas Pickle Tree Ornament...

The story goes that on Christmas Eve, in a German household, after the tree was fully decorated and every last ornament was hung in sight, parents would hang a pickle deep within the branches of the tree.  The morning would come and the most observant child who found the pickle would be rewarded with an extra gift from St. Nicholas. The tradition is known as Weihnachtsgurke, which literally translates to "Christmas Pickle".

Many variations of this ‘tradition’ can be found online, including one that states that the pickle finder was the only child to get a gift since gifts for everyone would have been difficult financially in those times. Or the person who found it was really gifted with ‘good luck’ for the year to come. As quirky as this story is, it may very well be a tall tale. If you ask a German, they have likely never partaken in this tradition as a child, nor even heard about it while in their homeland.  And there are some facts that also don’t quite line up. In Germany the children typically open gifts on Christmas Eve, December 24. So, whether the tradition is the pickle, or the story behind it, we don’t truly know.

But that doesn’t stop the fun. You can hang a ‘traditional’ German pickle from your tree and surely it will be a delightful conversation starter!

You can buy Christmas Tree Ornaments at our shops www.CraftShop.ca, www.GermanChristmasDecorations.com and www.MadeInGermany.ca

Browse our Online Shops for more Traditional Handmade German Christmas Decorations. Merry Christmas!