We have a pickle hanging on our Christmas tree. Don’t worry, it’s actually an ornament—not a dill. According to the paper that came with the ornament, this is an old Bavarian custom. Parents are supposed to hide the ornament on the tree, and the first child to spot the pickle gets an extra gift and good luck for the year.
Apparently though, no one from Germany has actually heard of this custom. And it may have originated instead in a Georgia Civil War prison. Or maybe a manufacturer thought of it and thought they would sell more with a legend attached. No matter though, it’s still a fun little extra to do for Christmas.
In our family, we don’t do an extra gift for the finder though. As parents of twins, we have enough problems with sibling comparisons and “it’s not fair”. The child who spots the pickle first at our house gets to open the first present on Christmas morning. This is a nice prize, but not so nice that it causes arguments.
My kids think it is great fun to look for the pickle. But even if you don’t have a pickle, you can substitute another ornament. Who can find the gingerbread man? Who can find the blue snowflake?
You can actually play a lot of games with your Christmas tree. These games are great for occupying small children at airports, and at the mall waiting in line, and at other people’s houses. How many gold balls can you count? How many red bells do you see?
Or you can pick an ornament and play twenty questions for other people to find it. Is it a homemade ornament? Is it breakable? Is it an animal? Is it white?
Or you can play “I Spy” and say “I see an ornament that is red and white”.
Adapt traditions to suit your family. Make up new ones. Don’t worry about what people will say or think. Can it be any stranger than putting a pickle on a Christmas tree?
More on Christmas Pickles:
Holiday Traditions: Little Surprises