In German traditions

What the heck is a Christmas pickle?

What is a Christmas pickle?

Howdy everybody! I want to use this beautiful sunny Christmas day (yes, the sun is shining brightly in Stuttgart!) to clean up with a prejudice about German Christmas traditions: We might be a little bit strange, celebrating on the 24th and calling sausages with mashed potatoes a feast, however, WE DO NOT put Christmas pickles into our Christmas trees!!  😀

So, that's hat Christmas pickles look like...?!

I was talking about Christmas decorations with a colleague last week and he told me about the American exchange student who stayed with his family last Christmas. When they decorated the Christmas tree together, he asked where the Christmas pickle is. My colleague was confused and thought he might have misunderstood the question. Then the exchange student told him that it is commonly believed in the US that it’s a German Christmas tradition to hide Christmas pickles in the tree.

I didn’t believe him and thought we has making fun of me. So the next day, he brought me the pickle the exchange student gave him and his family as a present when he left.

Well, I have to admit, I actually like this pickle-tradition-thing. When I googled it, I found out that the idea of hiding it in the tree is that whoever finds it first, receives a special present. Maybe we’ll adopt this (American!) tradition next year 🙂

But for this Christmas, we are quite happy with our picklefree tree. Merry Christmas, today especially to all Americans! Be good to your pickles 😉

A German Christmas tree - without Christmas pickles!

Mellivinginstuttgart

Hello and welcome to "living in Stuttgart". I am Mel and I love this beautiful city. There are so many things to explore, I can't wait sharing them with you. So come along and let me show you Stuttgart the way I see it.

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