Merck himself wrote the company's version of the pickle tradition, the spokesperson told TODAY Food, but it is unknown whether he heard it in Germany or if it was an entirely new tale he concocted. Barrien Springs, Michigan, used to hold a Christmas Pickle Festival in the s, according to Dick Schinkel, one of the festival's organizers and former president of the town's historical society.
But, he said the town which used to have many pickle farms and factories really borrowed the idea from Old World Christmas. However, since the town sold so many pickle ornaments, Pickle Packers International, the trade group for the pickle industry, dubbed Barrien Springs as the Christmas Pickle Capital of the World in the s.
Silke-Maria Weineck, a professor of German Studies and Comparative Literature at the University of Michigan who is originally from Germany said that it doesn't really sound like a German Christmas tradition to her. She added that even though most Germans don't know about it, it is possible that hiding a pickle could have been popular in just one region of Germany.
Americans are notoriously quick to claim something is 'a tradition. The website WhyChristmas. By Alexandra Churchill Updated November 03, Each product we feature has been independently selected and reviewed by our editorial team. If you make a purchase using the links included, we may earn commission.
Save Pin More. Credit: Mike Krautter. Memories Remade View Series. Comments Add Comment. There are a few origin stories, too: one claims that two Spanish children were murdered by an innkeeper, who then hid their bodies in a pickle barrel. Nick came along, tapped on the barrel with his cane, and the kids miraculously came back to life. This story has been pushed, in particular, by a town called Berrien Springs, which is in the cucumber-producing southwest region of Michigan.
From to , Berrien Springs held an annual "Christmas Pickle Parade," led by a Grand Dillmeister and finished with a Santa Claus who hands out fresh pickles instead of candy or presents. Another claims that a German immigrant and soldier in the United States was being held by the Confederates as a prisoner of war in the Andersonville camp.
He was near death, and asked one of the guards to take pity on him and give him a pickle. The guard was moved, gave him a pickle and the man made a miraculous recovery. There's a teeny little problem with all of these stories, though: no one in Germany seems to have ever heard of them. Or, if they have, they've heard about them from Americans. The traditions don't even really match up — Germans don't open their gifts on Christmas morning, they do this on Christmas Eve.
And in Germany, St. Makeover Takeover: Colonial Comeback. Treat Your Family to Homemade Cupcakes. Ever spotted a pickle-shaped ornament in a Christmas tree? Lucky you! Advertisement - Continue Reading Below. We love the heart detail on the top of this ornament. Too cute! How fun is this? It's a decidedly different take on the pickle ornaments you know and love. This content is created and maintained by a third party, and imported onto this page to help users provide their email addresses.
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