I don't know where our pickle came from, just that it's been in the family as long as anyone can remember. So we dug into the history behind the Christmas pickle , and what about it keeps us hunting to this day.
During the s, the department store Woolworths began selling blown-glass ornaments imported from Germany, some of which were shaped like fruits and vegetables. Around that same time, a story began circulating that German people hung a pickle on their tree as the last ornament. The first child to find the pickle got to open an extra present.
But when Americans checked in with the Old Country, most Germans had never heard of the tradition. Common wisdom has it that some savvy salesman made up the tale to sell more pickle ornaments, and if today's trees are any indication, it seems to have worked.
If there's one thing we know about Christmas, it's that legends abound. One of them posits that a German soldier who was a prisoner of war during the American Civil War begged a guard for a pickle to stave off starvation.
The guard complied, and it gave him the strength to carry on. In the other tale , two Spanish boys were traveling back home for the holidays when they stopped at an inn. The evil innkeeper killed them and stuffed their bodies in a pickle barrel. When St. There are several popular theories, none of which are definitive.
The story goes that a captured Union Army soldier was starving in a prison camp. On Christmas Eve, he begged a guard for a pickle. The guard obliged, which the solider said sustained him and essentially saved his life. The tale is that an evil innkeeper trapped two boys inside a barrel of pickles. Nicholas found the boys and freed them.
The boys were able to make it home for Christmas dinner. It seems that pickles must have been among the selection! Around the same time it was claimed that the Christmas Pickle was a very old German tradition and that the pickle was the last ornament hung on the Christmas tree and then the first child to find the pickle got an extra present.
The reasons why you crave salty foods, like pickles , can vary. In addition, you can build a tolerance to salty foods, so you need more of them to activate the reward center of the brain. Some other common reasons for craving pickles include dehydration, electrolyte imbalances or Addison's disease. Germany celebrates many of the traditional Christian holidays, including Christmas and Easter.
Nicholas, Father Christmas , or Santa Claus is the weirdest Christmas tradition ever, but he is so well known and so well documented that his origins are beyond the scope of this particular post.
As a tool to encourage good behavior in children, Santa serves as the carrot, and Krampus is the stick. What is Germany famous for? Located in the heart of Europe, Germany has a population of over 83 million people and Berlin is the capital and biggest city.
It is internationally known for the Oktoberfest, car brands, football, and many other things. The Christmas tree - Der Tannenbaum Traditionally, the Germans used the fir tree , but nowadays the spruce is widely used. Decorations may include tinsel, glass balls or straw ornaments and sweets. A star or an angel tops the Tannenbaum, and beneath the tree , a nativity scene might be set up and the presents next to it. Christmas Eve is the main day when Germans exchange presents with their families.
Tinsel was originally made from extruded strands of silver. Before the 19th century, tinsel was used for adorning sculptures rather than Christmas trees. It was added to Christmas trees to enhance the flickering of the candles on the tree.
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