No, the Christmas pickle isn't a recipe for a particular kind of pickle served at Christmas. Instead it's a Christmas ornament, and here's what it's all about.
According to old German folklore, the Christmas pickle was the last ornament to be placed on the tree when the Christmas tree was decorated. In those days it actually was a real pickle! The child who found the pickle on Christmas Day was 
said to be amply blessed throughout the coming year.
I had never heard of a Christmas pickle until just a few years ago. A friend of mine was astonished that there was no Christmas pickle on our tree. In her family, she hides the pickle when the tree is first decorated, and every few days she hides it in a different spot for good measure. Whoever finds the Christmas Pickle on Christmas Day gets to open the Pickle Present. There is one present underneath the Christmas tree for the whole family to enjoy together; maybe a board game or gift certificate to go out to breakfast. That is the Christmas pickle present.
We started observing the Christmas pickle tradition, and it's the one gift I have yet to purchase for Christmas. Of course today's Christmas pickles are glass ornaments. The notion of a rotting pickle hanging from our Christmas tree isn't all that appealing!
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Kimberly Ripley is a freelance writer and published author from New Hampshire, who has the Christmas pickle presently well hidden on her Christmas tree! Visit Kim's site at http://www.kimberlyripleywrites.com.
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Comments: 11
One of my mentors in a volunteer group I joined taught me about this German tradition. She gave me one as a Christmas present that year. As a Filipina with very different Christmas traditions, I was intrigued enough to add this to our own Christmas traditions in my home.
Later, I found a box of the glass pickle ornaments on eBay and have since given away a few of the precious pickles to special people to whom I would share the story and the tradition behind the Christmas Pickle.
Several years ago my family heard about it while taking a house tour at Cantigny (the home I have a video of), they had a prize for each tour and gave the children a chance to find it on the tree. My mom bought one in the gift store and we have hid it every year since.
A couple years ago I found a red chili pepper that reminded me of the pickle and I decided to buy it and hide it too.
I have, on occasion played hide the pickle on Christmas, but the tree was more like a bush and finding it wasn't so difficult!
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