# Hanging a Pickle in your Christmas tree? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 7, 2006, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hanging-a-pickle-in-your-christmas-tree/383250 "2006-12-07T18:33:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Mouse\_Maven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ac91a4/32.png) [@Mouse\_Maven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mouse_Maven)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2006, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hanging-a-pickle-in-your-christmas-tree/383250/1 "2006-12-07T18:33:07Z")
I have been looking for orniments and several stores carry green pickle Christmas tree decorations. Is there something behind this? Does the vinger-soaked veggie represent something? Is there a pickle cult in my area? Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![E.Thorp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/898d66/32.png) [@E.Thorp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E.Thorp)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2006, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hanging-a-pickle-in-your-christmas-tree/383250/2 "2006-12-07T18:55:30Z")
[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christmas\_pickle](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christmas_pickle) ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2006, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hanging-a-pickle-in-your-christmas-tree/383250/3 "2006-12-07T19:40:16Z")
Tradition has it that, if you hang a real pickle in your tree, the entire room will smell like a pickle. Eerily enough, it seems to be true. Seriously, I’ve never heard of this one before. Amazing how these “ancient traditions” spontaneously generate. ---
**Author:** ![FatBaldGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ecd19e/32.png) [@FatBaldGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FatBaldGuy)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2006, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hanging-a-pickle-in-your-christmas-tree/383250/4 "2006-12-07T19:46:53Z")
From the Wikipedia article linked above: > [@](#): > > This tradition is commonly believed by Americans to come from Germany, but this is probably apocryphal. In fact, the tradition is widely unknown in Germany. If you ask me, it’s widely unknown in America, too. ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2006, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hanging-a-pickle-in-your-christmas-tree/383250/5 "2006-12-07T20:24:27Z")
I only know about it because this weird catalog of old lady stuff (seriously, murder mysteries, shawls, gurgling pitchers, etc.) comes to my boyfriend’s house, and it has Christmas pickles in it. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2006, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hanging-a-pickle-in-your-christmas-tree/383250/6 "2006-12-07T20:36:54Z")
_We_ do it. Are you calling us weird? We are, but just watch it anyway. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2006, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hanging-a-pickle-in-your-christmas-tree/383250/7 "2006-12-07T20:44:35Z")
[QUOTE=FatBaldGuy] From the Wikipedia article linked above: If you ask me, it’s widely unknown in America, too. [/QUOTE] I used to date an au pair from Germany, and her host family hung a Christmas pickle on the tree in an effort to make her feel more at home. She inquired about the pickle, and her host family was like, “That’s a traditional German pickle!” to which she responded in polite, but complete puzzlement. We never figured out whether the pickle is a tradition anywhere in Germany, but it’s nice to see that Wikipedia article suggest that it is, in fact, apocryphal. Will have to forward that to her. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2006, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hanging-a-pickle-in-your-christmas-tree/383250/8 "2006-12-07T20:52:16Z")
[QUOTE=Zsofia] I only know about it because this weird catalog of old lady stuff (seriously, murder mysteries, shawls, gurgling pitchers, etc.) comes to my boyfriend’s house, and it has Christmas pickles in it. [/QUOTE] Are you talking about the [Victorian Trading Company](http://victoriantradingco.com/)? Because I LOVE their catalogs! ---
**Author:** ![Mouse\_Maven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ac91a4/32.png) [@Mouse\_Maven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mouse_Maven)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2006, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hanging-a-pickle-in-your-christmas-tree/383250/9 "2006-12-07T20:56:09Z")
[QUOTE=FatBaldGuy] If you ask me, it’s widely unknown in America, too. [/QUOTE] I like the idea of the Cucurbitaceae, a small group of people worshipping acetic acid inflused vegetables. Exiled from their native land of Kimchi after losing a war with the heathen Relish Sect, they move to America. Over the years, they adopt American traditions, but they never forget to put the Pickle of the Ancestors on the Christmas tree. Hell, it may be true. ---
**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2006, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hanging-a-pickle-in-your-christmas-tree/383250/10 "2006-12-07T21:42:16Z")
> [@](#): > > Amazing how these “ancient traditions” spontaneously generate. I’m 44 and have seen a (usually glass) pickle on at least one tree every year that I can remember. Every Christian I’ve ever lived with has hung a pickle on his/her tree. I can count at least 7 states, well-distributed, where I’ve seen them. I’ve seen them on two trees this year so far. It mystifies me that others haven’t, so I guess that this demonstrates some cohort differences. ---
**Author:** ![Skammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skammer/32/143_2.png) [@Skammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skammer)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2006, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hanging-a-pickle-in-your-christmas-tree/383250/11 "2006-12-07T21:58:39Z")
[QUOTE=Shoshana] I’m 44 and have seen a (usually glass) pickle on at least one tree every year that I can remember. Every Christian I’ve ever lived with has hung a pickle on his/her tree. I can count at least 7 states, well-distributed, where I’ve seen them. I’ve seen them on two trees this year so far. It mystifies me that others haven’t, so I guess that this demonstrates some cohort differences. [/QUOTE] That’s interesting. In 37 Christmases in five states, I’ve never heard of this in my life. So clearly it is a well established tradition in some circles, and utterly unknown in others. ---
**Author:** ![Susie\_Derkins](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e47774/32.png) [@Susie\_Derkins](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Susie_Derkins)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2006, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hanging-a-pickle-in-your-christmas-tree/383250/12 "2006-12-07T22:19:02Z")
The German pavilion at Epcot has a store where Christmas trees are up year round, and one of them is covered in pickles. Each pickle has a tag attached, detailing the history of the pickle ornament. Make that a _lying_ tag, detailing the “history” of the pickle ornament. Aaaand, the word pickle has lost all meaning. ---
**Author:** ![Sal\_Ammoniac](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8dc957/32.png) [@Sal\_Ammoniac](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sal_Ammoniac)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2006, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hanging-a-pickle-in-your-christmas-tree/383250/13 "2006-12-07T22:19:24Z")
Perhaps in Germany they hang a [pickelhaube](http://www.atlantacutlery.com/webstore/eCat/military_items/other_military/military_reproductions/imperial_german_wwi_era_pickelhaube_helmet.aspx) on the tree. ---
**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2006, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hanging-a-pickle-in-your-christmas-tree/383250/14 "2006-12-07T22:20:41Z")
In [this thread,](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=399083) one post in ten this far has mentioned hanging pickled on the tree. ---
**Author:** ![FatBaldGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ecd19e/32.png) [@FatBaldGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FatBaldGuy)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2006, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hanging-a-pickle-in-your-christmas-tree/383250/15 "2006-12-07T22:30:57Z")
[QUOTE=Shoshana] In [this thread,](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=399083) one post in ten this far has mentioned hanging pickled on the tree. [/QUOTE] That sounds awfully uncomfortable. But I guess if you had to hang on the tree, it would be best to be pickled. ---
**Author:** ![Lamar\_Mundane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/85f322/32.png) [@Lamar\_Mundane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamar_Mundane)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2006, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hanging-a-pickle-in-your-christmas-tree/383250/16 "2006-12-07T22:31:05Z")
I have one but I don’t know where it came from or when. I think it just appeared in the ornament box one year. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Drake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Dr.Drake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Drake)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2006, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hanging-a-pickle-in-your-christmas-tree/383250/17 "2006-12-07T22:36:21Z")
Just checked four books on Christmas customs and folklore, published between 1888 (the oldest) and 1994 (the newest, but it’s a British book). None of them mention Christmas pickles, and I’ve never heard of it, either. Perhaps the German-origin hypothesis is because people are thinking of the fact that Christmas trees themselves are of German origin? (Rarely found outside of Germany-Austria-Switzerland before 1840; more and more popular since.) ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2006, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hanging-a-pickle-in-your-christmas-tree/383250/18 "2006-12-07T22:44:54Z")
My (German-American) grandparents had a glass pickle in their tree, which was given to them their first Christmas by Grandpa’s folks. Everyone I knew growing up (in a German settled area south of Chicago) had a pickle in the tree. It may not be a German tradition, but it does seem to have become a German \*American \*tradition. In fact, just this year I bought our first Christmas pickle. My husband and offspring were very WTF? about the whole thing, and I (erroneously, it seems) told them it was a German thing and they should stop making fun of me before I decided to try another German tradition on them and exterminate the lot of 'em. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![SnakesCatLady](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4af34b/32.png) [@SnakesCatLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SnakesCatLady)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2006, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hanging-a-pickle-in-your-christmas-tree/383250/19 "2006-12-07T22:49:59Z")
I’ve never heard of the pickle thing either, and I’ve never seen a pickle ornament on a tree. ---
**Author:** ![whole\_bean](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/96bed5/32.png) [@whole\_bean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/whole_bean)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2006, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hanging-a-pickle-in-your-christmas-tree/383250/20 "2006-12-07T22:50:06Z")
we have one too. the lore being that, “he who finds the pickle, has good luck.” kind of a christmas equivalent to finding the baby in your king cake. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hanging-a-pickle-in-your-christmas-tree/383250.md?page=2)