By Ella Wong

It’s Christmas day. The air is so cold it sparkles, the halls are decked in boughs of holly, and the children spring up early, dashing to the glittering Christmas tree to look for…pickles?

The Christmas Pickle, or the Weihnachtsgurke, is a festive tradition that involves hiding a pickle ornament on the Christmas tree. The first one to find the Christmas Pickle receives a special treat—this could be an extra gift, good luck for the new year, or snacks, depending on each family’s personal customs.

A common misconception is that Weihnachtsgurke is an old German tradition, but according to a 2016 New York Times survey, 91% of people in Germany have never heard of it. In fact, it’s practiced more in the US, but it doesn’t stem from any particularly ancient roots. Decorating Christmas trees didn’t even become a popular concept in the US until the late 1900s.

So, where did the tradition really come from?

One widespread legend holds that a Union soldier born in Bavaria, Germany, was taken captive and imprisoned during the American Civil War. Starving, he begged his captors for one last pickle as his final meal. A guard, taking pity, granted his wish, apparently on Christmas Eve, and the pickle gave him enough strength and mental fortitude to survive the war. Some say the Christmas Pickle tradition is in remembrance of the pain the soldier lived through, but this story isn’t verified.

Another legend spins the tale of two Spanish boys travelling home from their boarding school for the Winter holidays. When they stopped at an inn, the wicked innkeeper sealed them inside a pickle barrel, from which they were freed that evening by Saint Nicholas. As with all legends, details vary from source to source, with some saying the boys were killed and stuffed in the barrel and that St. Nicholas brought them back to life.

But the most likely legend?

Since 1597, the German town of Lauscha has been known for its glassblowing and Christmas tree baubles. In the 1840s, the glassmakers of Lauscha began to make glass ornaments shaped like fruits, nuts, and more importantly, pickles.

By the 1880s, F. W. Woolworth’s—an American chain of general merchandise retail stores that pioneered the five and dime module (this essentially meant everything in the store was either five cents or a dime/ten cents; think 12 dollar stores in Hong Kong or 300 yen shops in Japan)—were importing and selling these ornaments. They most likely spun the Christmas Pickle tale and branded it a German tradition as a marketing strategy to boost their sales.

Who could’ve imagined that, centuries later, the Christmas Pickle is still such an enduring and endearing tradition? Its origins are cloudy, but that just leaves space for us to dream up our own legends. Perhaps the tradition was invented to encourage children not to pick out the pickle in their sandwich.

If you don’t practice Weihnachtsgurke already, why not try?

You don’t have to stick to glass pickle ornaments—experiment with mediums and try making your own pickle from felt or clay for a fun and novel Wintry tradition.

Ultimately, the Christmas Pickle is another festive opportunity to spend time with your loved ones, engage in healthy competition, and search for that pickle-shaped ticket to a holiday bonus.