THE PICKLE

We need Christmas. Today, I want to talk about the tradition of the pickle. You know what I'm talking about. Some people actually take a pickle ornament and it gets hidden in the Christmas tree on Christmas Eve. 

The Pickle Tradition

Then Christmas morning, the first thing people do is try to see who can be the first to find that Christmas pickle.  In some cases, they get a special present from Santa. In others, it just gives them good luck and good health for the coming year. It's a great tradition. I used to even do it myself at times. 

Is it REALLY and old German Tradition

But where did it come from? Well, you'll often hear that it was an old German tradition, and it kind of came over from that. But here's the thing. When you start researching, you find out there's really no evidence that it was an old German tradition. In fact, there's two origin stories that kind of pop. 

The Union POW

One story comes from the Civil War. It is said a Union soldier who was originally born in Germany was in a prisoner of war camp and he was starving.  So he begged the guard to give him just a single pickle to get him through the night on Christmas Eve. And he credited that pickle with saving his life. So he would then make that a part of the tradition every year at Christmas to remember that. 

A Marketing Ploy

The main story that people seem to come up with is that it actually grew out of a marketing campaign in the late 1800s.  Glass ornaments which resembled vegetables were getting really popular. So one major department store  wanted to market them. To do so, they created this story around the pickle ornament being an old German tradition.

Does it Matter?

That' last story is kind of  cynical. And even if it's true, does it matter?  Because this tradition has taken on so much more for people, right? Does it matter if it started as just a way for somebody to sell a bunch of ornaments? 

It has became part of family traditions, and what means most to those who practice it is keeping that tradition year in and year out. Keeping that tradition alive.

The Challenge

So even if you see this Christmas some traditions you don't understand, don't get, or  worse, see a cynical, negative or even evil origin of that tradition, I want you to look at it and think about it in terms of the people who celebrate it. Do they have that same opinion or that belief that you think is wrong about that? Or is it something different for them? 

If it's something different for them, then let them enjoy it for exactly what it is. 

And this is an idea that I'd like you, once we get past the "peace" of this season to keep in mind in the future on bigger issues. Because it may just help us extend the peace of Christmas.

Have a great day.