It’s kind of a big dill at my house. 😃
It’s an old Christmas tradition (maybe from Germany, maybe not)… you hide a pickle ornament deep in the branches of the family Christmas Tree. It was the last ornament to be hung and then the first child to find the pickle got an extra present! First adult to find the pickle traditionally gets good luck for the whole year.
Now in my household, if you find it… you get $20!
*The story behind the gherkin-themed game?*
For years, people believed that the Christmas pickle tradition was passed down through the generations from Old World Germany. Other people believe the pickle is in honor of an American Civil War soldier who was saved from starvation on Christmas Eve by eating a pickle. Still others believe that the tradition has something to do with St. Nicholas saving two boys who were trapped in a barrel of pickles. Historical evidence, however, supports the theory that the tradition was most likely fabricated by salesmen during the late 1800s to promote German glass ornaments in American stores. Sorry.
But whichever story you believe to be true, there’s no doubt that the pickle ornament has become a tradition in many homes across the country, including my own.
And here’s something cool: The American city of Berrien Springs, MI (also known as the Christmas Pickle Capital of the World) has an annual pickle festival held during the early part of December.