The Truth About the "German" Christmas Pickle Tradition

by GermanXJW 14 Replies latest jw friends

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  GermanXJW

  When I was recently in the US, I was asked if it was true that we put a pickle/cucumber in our Christmas tree for the kids to search for.

  The answer was: No, and hardly anyone in Germany has ever heard about that custom.

  The truth is that some people from the US do this believing it to be a German tradition. Believe me, it is not.

  Here is a report on the origin (seems to be a clever Marketing idea):
  http://german.about.com/library/blgermyth11.htm

  Since here are a lot of people just starting celebrating Christmas and having a tree: feel free to put a pickle in your tree but please: no connection to us folks in Germany.
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  Junction-Guy

  That's interesting, I dont know anything about the pickle tradition, never even heard of it.
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  RunningMan

  A very old Christmas eve tradition in Germany was to hide a pickle deep in the...

  I've been trying to convince my wife for years that she should let me hide the pickle on Christmas eve.

  Actually, this is very easily explained. You see, "pickle" is the German word for "candy cane". It's a very easy mistake to make, kind of like the German origin of the word "smurf".
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  GermanXJW

  Actually, "Pickel" is the German word for "Pimple". ;-) Tell me about the "Smurf"-thing, too.
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  Mystla

  I think it's a fine tradition.. I wonder if I can hang a pickle from my festivus pole? Hmmm.. might be too easy to find.

  Misty
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  Effervescent

  Oh my gosh, we have a glass pickle for our tree! This is too funny to me! I had actually never heard of it and one of my ex-inlaws had sent it up for my girls. They are Polish and she told me it was a Polish tradition, and we've done it every year. Regardless, it's fun, but it's very interesting to note that it's an urban myth thats even mutated over time.
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  brainfcked

  I had never heard of this before until this past Christmas. My neighbor had a tree decorating party and she asked me to hang the pickle. So I hung it right in plain view cause I thought it was just another ornament. Everyone got a good laugh at my expense.

  I won't have a pickle this year.

  BF
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  GermanXJW

  I won't have a pickle this year.

  I think I will start this year with a Christman pickle. I just have to convince my wife.
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  blondie

  When I first moved to the US from Germany, people kept asking about that pickle at Christmas time...I had no idea what they were talking about. I thought maybe it was a German-American tradition, but no go.

  People think Chow Mein is Chinese and it isn't. Also pizza is not really Italian, not the kind in the US anyway.

  Blondie
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  onacruse

  However, animal hides were, in the tanning process, treated with a rendered solution of animal brains (something about the fatty acids). Then, with proper smoking, they were molecularly cross-bonded to give a durable and supple product.

  I have no idea what this has to do with German Pickles, but it seemed like a good thread to offer a "weird things you never heard of" post.

  Craig