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| Figure 1: Pickle Ornament (Source: The New York Times) |
I had the privilege growing up in a mixed cultural household, and I would delight in learning about the distinctly different cultures my parents came from. This resulted in both German and American traditions being practiced and passed down in the family. I have spoken previously about some of the German Christmas traditions that were practiced, such as Advent Calendars and getting treats in our shoes from St. Nicholas. One tradition that was never practiced was the placement of a glass pickle ornament in the Christmas tree (Figure 1). I first heard about this seemingly “German” tradition as an adult living in the United States when someone asked me if, as a German-American, I did this. I recall being very perplexed and wondering if this was something my parents neglected to share with me, leading me to investigate further. Today’s blog post reveals the results of that investigation and the true origin story of the glass pickle ornament tradition.
According to Americans who honor this tradition it is customary to place a glass ornament shaped like a pickle, known as a weihnachtsgurk, deep into the branches of the tree. The green pickle ornament is meant to be carefully hidden because the first individual who finds it is bestowed a prize. For children it is a special gift, and for adults it is said that they will have good luck in the coming year. The pickle ornament tradition seems to be a favorite among families claiming to have German heritage, leading many to believe that this is a German custom that was brought to the United States by German immigrants. Alas, it is not.
When looking into the origins of this tradition there were three origin stories that were linked to it. Two of them are fairly far fetched but provide some of the contextual evidence for the purpose behind this practice. The first story links the pickle ornament to St. Nicholas. He purportedly rescued to boys trapped in a pickling barrel on Christmas Eve. This is patently false since St. Nicholas is not associated with Christmas but early December holiday traditions in Germany. It does, however, account for the gifts being given to children part of this custom. The second story claims that a German immigrant who fought in the Civil War was saved from sudden death by eating a pickle. This explains why adults associate finding the pickle ornament with good luck. As fun as these stories are they do not, however, provide the answer for how and why the pickle ornament tradition began and how it became associated with Germany.
The truth is that the pickle ornament tradition was a marketing campaign by A.F.W. Woolworth store salesmen. Beginning in 1890 Woolworth began importing German glass ornaments and selling them in their store. These were handcraft ornaments created by various craftspeople throughout Germany, but it was artisans from Lauscha, Germany, who specialized in blowing glass Christmas ornaments to resemble fruit, nuts, and various other types of food, including a pickle. The Woolworth’s salesmen fabricated the tales about the ornaments to entice American customers into buying the seemingly strange ornaments. They created various stories for each type of ornament, but it appears that only the pickle tale stuck and continues to this day.
I realize that many readers of this post may be disappointed to learn that what they thought was a long held German tradition is not, but it should still remain as an important American and family tradition. If it is one that brings you joy I encourage you to continue with it, but remember its true origins, not the clever and successful market campaign that misrepresents the actual German traditions.
Works Cited
Churchill, Alexandra. "The Untold Story of the Christmas Pickle Ornament." 3 November 2021. Martha Stewart. Electronic. 12 November 2022.
No Author. "Why do some people hang ornaments that look like pickles on their Christmas tree?" Tampa Bay Magazine November/December 2011: 91. Electronic.
Russell, Nancy. "German gherkin ornament puts historians in a pickle ." Columbia Daily Tribune 14 December 2006. Electronic.
Rutter, David. "The true story has some folks up a tree, in a real pickle." Post-Tribune (Indiana) 25 December 2005. Electronic.
1 comment:
Wow, it's fascinating to hear about your experience growing up in a mixed cultural household! Learning about different traditions and customs from your parents must have been such a unique and enriching experience. It's interesting how certain traditions, like the German pickle ornament, can be associated with a specific culture, even if they don't have a direct connection. Exploring the true origin stories behind these traditions can be quite enlightening. Thanks for sharing your story!
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