Do you play hide the pickle?

[MosMom]

I bought a pickle ornament from Germany in Epcot as I like to buy a few ornaments there everytime we go.

Well, I was over at my aunt's and noticed she had a picture of the ornament up on her computer. I said "Hey, I have that ornament!" and she asked me if I play hide the pickle. I replied that I do quite regularly but I wasn't comfortable discussing that with her!

She then informed me that we need to hide the pickle ornament somewhere on the tree and whoever finds it first gets an extra gift. I never knew that!

So this Christmas, I think we'll play hide the pickle and include the kids!

I was reading and noticed that perhaps it is a myth that has become an American tradition with conflicting stories about whether or not it came from Germany.

Anyone else do this with their pickle?

 

[ACvmk]

We just bought a pickle ornament this year as well. It was from a German ornament store at a Christmas festival. Its a fun tradition that we're looking forward to.

 

[parrothead365]

Yep, every year. It was a tradition in my DW's family and she brought it to ours

 

[slo]

How fun!!!!

You'll have to let us know how your children enjoyed this

 

[Pam]

Yes, we do.

And we now buy pickles for other families and teach them how to hide the pickle!

Wow - your kids are growing! They are still as gorgeous as ever!!

 

[zagafi]

Hi, I'm a 12 year old boy hiding in a 41 year old woman's body. I just HOWLED at that thread title(my brain is firmly in the gutter)! But yes, we've done this for years.

 

[Taylor]

I thought this was an x-rated thread.

 

[ntsammy5]

I said "Hey, I have that ornament!" and she asked me if I play hide the pickle. I replied that I do quite regularly but I wasn't comfortable discussing that with her!

LMAO!

Actually we did it several years ago and the kids loved it.

 

[Lynn CC]

We have a pickle on our tree and have given many pickles for gifts too!
It's fun!

 

[sha_lyn]

Hi, I'm a 12 year old boy hiding in a 41 year old woman's body. I just HOWLED at that thread title(my brain is firmly in the gutter)! But yes, we've done this for years.

ROFLMAO..... I had to reread this several times. I thought you were saying that you are a 12yr old boy hidding his pickle in a 41 yr woman

 

[Stepharoonie!]

Interesting fact....


One of our really good friends is from Germany. She moved here about 10 years ago. Last year, we went to Epcot to eat at the German buffet, and stopped in their store with the German pickles. I asked her if she played "hide the pickle" at their home, and she gave me the STRANGEST look. I said that Disney was selling the pickle ornaments, and you're supposed to play hide the pickle. She said she had never, in her entire life, heard of such a strange thing to do. I told her WDW had a sign up saying it was a German custom...then showed her the sign.

After she read it, she marched over to a couple of the German CM's and started rattling off a conversation in German. Lots of laughter. She thanked them and came back. Apparently, this is NOT something that Germans do, because the group of CMs had never heard of it until they came to Epcot.

So now you know. And knowing is half the battle.

 

[hiwaygal]

Thank you all for the laugh this morning!!! I SOOO needed it!

I've heard about this ornament game, but we've never done it Of course, DH and I don't have any kids (hmmm...maybe that's why )

But this reminded me of a town I lived in for a couple of years after college. On New Years Eve they would "drop" a HUGE glittery, sequined pickle into a barrel. That was the highlight of the night. I always thought that was SOOO funny!

 

[Luv'sTink]

I thought this was an x-rated thread.

Me too!!! GEEEZZZZ!!!

 

[disneymama73]

I thought this was an x-rated thread.

Yep.

 

[Dory's Twin]

We have for several years...have also turned the rest of the relatives on to this! But I have heard that it is an Austrian tradition. My kids (16 and 14) wake up and race to the tree to find the pickles...it got so crazy a few years back, the older one is a boy that literally knocked the tree over, that we now have 2 pickles! Still haven't decided what the gift will be this year, any ideas?...I wrap it in plain brown paper that has pickles drawn all over it! Yeah, I also hide coal!

 

[mickeyfan2]

We live in Amish country and this is common here. The kid who finds the pickle gets the "extra" gift. The gift is usually small and would work for a boy or girl; younger or teen. Candy works great for this.

 

[Duckfan-in-Chicago]

After she read it, she marched over to a couple of the German CM's and started rattling off a conversation in German. Lots of laughter. She thanked them and came back. Apparently, this is NOT something that Germans do, because the group of CMs had never heard of it until they came to Epcot.

So now you know. And knowing is half the battle.

Well it doesn't seem to be something that WDW came up with.

http://german.about.com/library/blgermyth11.htm

The German Christmas Pickle Tradition:
Myth or Reality?
It never fails. Every December someone asks about the German Christmas pickle ornament that's supposed to have a long tradition in Germany.

Here's the pickle “legend” from one Web site: “A very old Christmas eve tradition in Germany was to hide a pickle [ornament] deep in the branches of the family Christmas Tree. The parents hung the pickle last after all the other ornaments were in place. In the morning they knew the most observant child would receive an extra gift from St. Nicholas. The first adult who finds the pickle traditionally gets good luck for the whole year.” This Christmas pickle story, with a few minor variations, can be found all over the Web and in print inside the ornament package. It says that Germans hang a pickle-shaped glass ornament on the Christmas tree hidden away so it's difficult to find. The first child to find it on Christmas morning gets a special treat or an extra present.

Of course, anyone familiar with German Christmas customs can see the flaws in this “legend.” First of all, the German St. Nick doesn't show up on Christmas Eve. He arrives on the 5th or 6th of December. Nor do German children open their presents on Christmas morning. That happens on Christmas Eve in Germany. (See our German Christmas Guide for more about German Christmas customs.)

But the biggest problem with the German pickle (saure Gurke, Weihnachtsgurke) tradition is that no one in Germany seems to have ever heard of it. Over the years this question has repeatedly come up on the AATG (German Teachers) forum. Teachers of German in the U.S. and in Europe have never been able to find a native German who has even heard of the pickle legend, much less carried out this Christmas custom. It may have been some German-American invention by someone who wanted to sell more glass ornaments for Christmas. Or could the Weihnachtsgurke be an obscure regional custom that few people are aware of?

 

[Luv'sTink]

I never knew what the pickles were for before reading this thread! I always thought HUH?!?! A pickle?! It really isa cute idea no matter how it started

I did a search and came up with a few different stories........


History Channel

Another story

Yet another one

Geman myth

 

[Stepharoonie!]

Well it doesn't seem to be something that WDW came up with.

http://german.about.com/library/blgermyth11.htm

The German Christmas Pickle Tradition:
Myth or Reality?
It never fails. Every December someone asks about the German Christmas pickle ornament that's supposed to have a long tradition in Germany.

Here's the pickle “legend” from one Web site: “A very old Christmas eve tradition in Germany was to hide a pickle [ornament] deep in the branches of the family Christmas Tree. The parents hung the pickle last after all the other ornaments were in place. In the morning they knew the most observant child would receive an extra gift from St. Nicholas. The first adult who finds the pickle traditionally gets good luck for the whole year.” This Christmas pickle story, with a few minor variations, can be found all over the Web and in print inside the ornament package. It says that Germans hang a pickle-shaped glass ornament on the Christmas tree hidden away so it's difficult to find. The first child to find it on Christmas morning gets a special treat or an extra present.

Of course, anyone familiar with German Christmas customs can see the flaws in this “legend.” First of all, the German St. Nick doesn't show up on Christmas Eve. He arrives on the 5th or 6th of December. Nor do German children open their presents on Christmas morning. That happens on Christmas Eve in Germany. (See our German Christmas Guide for more about German Christmas customs.)

But the biggest problem with the German pickle (saure Gurke, Weihnachtsgurke) tradition is that no one in Germany seems to have ever heard of it. Over the years this question has repeatedly come up on the AATG (German Teachers) forum. Teachers of German in the U.S. and in Europe have never been able to find a native German who has even heard of the pickle legend, much less carried out this Christmas custom. It may have been some German-American invention by someone who wanted to sell more glass ornaments for Christmas. Or could the Weihnachtsgurke be an obscure regional custom that few people are aware of?

I wasn't saying WDW came up with it, it's just strange that hey advertise it as a German custom and no one from Germany seems to know what in the world they're talking about.

 

[Blueeyes101817]

ROFLMAO..... I had to reread this several times. I thought you were saying that you are a 12yr old boy hidding his pickle in a 41 yr woman

so did i!!