Why Americans Hang Pickles in Their Christmas Trees
In America, they do quite a few things that they consider completely normal, while we find them rather unusual. For example, every Christmas they hang a pickle in the Christmas tree. Um, what? Why would you put one of the most unattractive vegetables in your Christmas tree? But as it turns out, it’s an American tradition that has existed for years. Why do Americans do it?
From Aperol Spritz baubles to crompouce ornaments: does your Christmas tree really count if it doesn’t have any food-related baubles hanging in it? I don’t think so. But choosing a pickle… Still, plenty of Americans faithfully take it out of the box every year. (So if you initially thought they picked a fresh pickle out of the jar, stuck a hook through it and then hung it in the tree: no. They’re not quite that crazy.)
Pickles in the Christmas Tree
The tradition comes with a kind of game. The parents hang the pickle in an inconspicuous spot in the tree. When the children come downstairs the next day, they’re supposed to find the pickle as quickly as possible. Without touching the tree: they can only search by looking. The child who finds the pickle first gets to open a present first. Or receives an extra gift—it just depends on how the parents interpret the tradition. It reminds me a little of the Three Kings tradition. You know, when you eat a piece of cake and are the ‘winner’ if you get the piece containing the bean.
Pickle Myth
That still leaves the question: why was it ever decided to hang a pickle in the tree? There are several myths about this. And as is always the case with myths, you never know exactly which one is true and which one isn’t. The best-known version has a German touch. The story is about the German soldier Hans Lauer, also known in America as John Lower. He is said to have been wounded during the American Civil War in 1860. When he was close to dying in prison, a prison guard allegedly gave him a pickle. It turned out to be the holy grail of his recovery. Out of gratitude, he supposedly began hanging a pickle in his Christmas tree every Christmas.
You might think that Germans therefore also put a pickle in their trees, but nothing could be further from the truth. In fact, research shows that fewer than 10% of Germans are even familiar with this story. Perhaps they are creative with pickles in other ways. Or perhaps they prefer hanging Bratwurst and Bockbier in their Christmas trees.
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