Die Weihnachtsgurke-Truth or Urban Legend?

Growing up on Long Island and fascinated by the German language (although I ended up studying French in school instead) and being of German descent, I had always heard about the "German Christmas Pickle Tradition". 

 

The story I had always heard was that in Germany, a dry pickle was hidden in the Xmas tree. Supposedly the child who finds the pickle will have great luck for the coming year.

 

This year, I decided to finally put a glass pickle ornament on my tree and then research (just because a pickle ornament is really cool). Much to my dismay, I have found that this “may” only be a urban legend. Here are a few of the myths/backstories:

 

-West Germans have said that East Germans may have had nothing more than pickles to decorate their Christmas trees with after WW II (but East Germans refute this).

 

-Some claim that the custom is observed in the small German town of Höxter. The problem is, no one from this town has ever said they know of such a custom.

 

-Another claim is that this traces back to a Bavarian-born ancestor who fought in the American Civil War. Starving, he begged for a pickle before he expired. A guard give a pickle to him and supposedly, he garnered enough strength to go on.

 

-Another claim originated from Berrien Springs, MI. When Spanish boys traveling home from boarding school for the holidays stopped at an inn for the night, the innkeeper stuffed them in a pickle barrel. St. Nicholas stopped at the same inn and freed the boys.

 

Regardless whether this is urban legend or part of German history, this Christmas tradition has taken on a life of its own. Every Christmas store has glass pickle ornaments for sale. Even the Dollar Tree!