So who is hiding the pickle

[monkeyboy]

So who is hiding the pickle ornament, and what do you give to those that find it?

 

[Iott Family]

We are! And I keep moving it until xmas eve, then I let Santa have the honors!

 

[runwad]

We do! But its displayed on a stand now and Santa will hide it somewhere in the tree to be found Christmas morning. He usually leaves a "family" gift. This year he's leaving a wii game

 

[clh2]

We do! It is hard, though, since we only have 1 DD. So - the "pickle finder" gets a prize - which is something the whole family might want. So - some years, the winner gets paper for the printer. Last year, the pickle winner got a GPS (DD was just about ready to get her license - and this was our 2nd GPS.) Another year - it was a 3 gallon container of flavored popcorn. (That was a vendor freebie.) A different year, it was a movie theater GC.

I don't know what the pickle winner will be getting this year. Who knows - maybe a GC for a massage!!!

Since it is only DD, DH and me - we try to get something that we all could use - becasue you never know who will win the prize! Maybe a gas GC.

 

[VAfamily1998]

We do! I'm thinking of making the prize a gc to Borders or Barnes and Noble.

 

[arminnie]

No one's pickle is hidden better than mine.

I had my entire belongings packed up and moved into storage to start a major remodel of my new condo on Sept. 1st. I have about 125 boxes stored at some unknown location. The pickle is in there somewhere.

My renovation started 9/1. Everyone told me it would be done in no time - kitchen tear out and new floors. I knew better. I'm still waiting.

 

[disneychrista]

Never heard of this before...even in all the years I have been on the dis . . .

 

[amyren]

I'm not really clear on the whole pickle tradition either. I actually bought a pickle ornament for a tacky ornament exchange and people were like "oh that's Christmas tradition" but I never got the whole story. Someone please explain! Thanks!!!

 

[minniebeth]

We have several trees with pickles, so we try to make it that each of our kids gets a prize. Yeah, we're the equal opportunity kind of house.
Last year we did itunes gift cards for my older two and a pack of lip glosses for my younger DD.

Haven't y'all seen the pickle ornament tree in Germany in Epcot? When my youngest DD first saw it a couple of years ago, I think she died and went to pickle heaven! She literally gasped when she saw it!

 

[SandrA9810]

Just visit Germany at Epcot, they can give you the Pickle Story. If you ever noticed, there's a huge tree in the middle of the store, covered in pickle ornaments. They also have a little card with the story on it.

 

[disneychrista]

Just visit Germany at Epcot, they can give you the Pickle Story. If you ever noticed, there's a huge tree in the middle of the store, covered in pickle ornaments. They also have a little card with the story on it.

That would be great....if I was making a trip to WDW anytime. Anyone want to take me?

 

[badblackpug]

Never heard of this before...even in all the years I have been on the dis . . .

Me either.... and I have to admit my mind went in a totally different direction.


... a dirty mind is a terrible thing to waste

 

[luvmy2sams]

This is one of our favorite family traditions! We try to make the gift something that the whole family can enjoy. Last year we surprised the kids with a Christmas vacation at Disney. We left as soon as the kids stopped screaming and spent 2 weeks in Florida. We bought a second pickle while we were there, so this year both kids will have a "pickle prize."

 

[basketkat]

My great-grandmother was from Germany, so I grew up with a pickle ornament on our tree.

We have one now...it moves througout the tree, and Santa hides it when he visits. Whoever finds it gets to open a gift first...

 

[indimom]

The Pickle ornament is a German tradition, although right here on the Dis I've seen that debated by people who said they lived in Germany and never heard of it. But, anywho...

You hide the pickle ornament in your tree and whoever finds it on Christmas morning gets an additional gift. I can't give you the history behind the tradition, just know that it comes from Germany.

When my sister and BIL lived in Germany for four years they bought a special pickle ornament for my mothers' tree. Since our family is of German heritage, we were very interested in this. We use the pickle at our annual family party. The grandkids have a lot of fun looking for it.

I'm hosting the party this year and plan to bury the pickle deep inside and down at the very bottom of our 12ft. tree because I expect all the teens and preteens to be looking higher. I hope the youngest cousin (5) will get a chance to win this year.

 

[MsLeFever]

Last year the kids fought (not that that is new - see sig photo) when one of them found the pickle over WHO found the pickle and WHO was going to get the present....

It was very disheartening when there was a room full of presents and they were fighting over a trinket. We swore we wouldn't do it this year.

BUT - the idea of a "family" type prize is a great one - no matter who finds the pickle everyone wins...we may try again.

Barbara

 

[minniebeth]

the idea of a "family" type prize is a great one - no matter who finds the pickle everyone wins...

I like this idea!

 

[lovesmurfs]

I love the idea of a family present!

Last year, we bought a pickle at Epcot -- we made it that the one who found it first gets to open a present first.

But DD really (really!) wants a waffle maker, and that would be a great family present to open for the pickle-finder! Thanks.

 

[design_mom]

We hide the pickle ornament, too... just for fun. The winner just gets bragging rights, not an extra gift. I do like the "first to open" idea though.

A friend who was a German exchange student (came to the US from Germany) gave us our pickle ornament, but I am finding many web sites that claim that the pickle tradition is *not* actually German, and most Germans have never heard of it.

 

[si-am]

I think the pickle is traditional in a very small part of Germany because most Germans I know (including my family) never heard of it when they lived there.