The Christmas Pickle: The True Story of the Pickle on the Tree
A green glass pickle, well hidden among the fir branches. Whoever spots it first on Christmas morning gets an extra present. Millions of Americans swear this is an ancient German custom. Ask in Germany, and most people look puzzled. Welcome to the most curious Christmas story in the world: the Christmas pickle. We looked into what is really behind it, who might have invented it, and why glassblowers from Thuringia and Franconia of all places make tens of thousands of them today.
- The custom: A glass pickle is hidden in the Christmas tree. Whoever finds it first gets an extra present or a year of good luck.
- The surprise: In a 2016 YouGov survey, 91 percent of Germans had never heard of the custom. It is mainly found in the American Midwest.
- The origin: unclear. There are at least four legends, from a soldier in the American Civil War to Saint Nicholas.
- The pickle itself: really does come from Germany, mouth-blown in the Lauscha tradition. At our shop you will find it from 3.5 to 12 centimetres, in a jar, with a Santa hat, in a glitter gown and as the sparkling Fancy Pickle in red, purple, pink and green.
How does the Christmas pickle tradition work?
Very simply, which is exactly why children love it. On Christmas Eve, when everyone else is asleep, an adult hangs the glass pickle in the tree as cleverly as possible. The search begins the next morning. Whoever finds it first gets an extra present, may open the first gift, or is the lucky one for a whole year. Some families even hide the pickle again every morning until New Year.
The golden rule: look, don't touch. And that is harder than it sounds. A green pickle on a green tree is a bit like a chameleon in the leaves. That is exactly the charm.
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Prices from the 4D OUTFITTERS online shop as of 19 October 2026. The prices shown update automatically from the shop.
Is the Christmas pickle really a German tradition?
This is where it gets exciting. In November 2016 the YouGov institute surveyed more than 2,000 people in Germany, a representative sample, about the Christmas pickle. The result: 91 percent had never heard of the custom. Only 2 percent said they practised it themselves. The New York Times picked up the story straight away, and ever since, the Christmas pickle has been perhaps the best example of a tradition that its supposed country of origin does not know.
The story does not fit German habits very well either. In Germany presents are given on Christmas Eve, not the morning after, and sweets are brought by Saint Nicholas on 6 December. English-language Wikipedia therefore simply calls the German origin “likely fabricated”. Still, a German kernel cannot be ruled out entirely: historian Cornelia Oelwein thinks it possible that the pickle was known here and there in the Bavarian-Thuringian region. And a glassblower in Upper Franconia owns a pickle mould said to date from around 1900. Its age cannot be proven, however.
According to YouGov, 6 percent of households with children keep the custom, compared with just 1 percent of households without children. No wonder: a treasure hunt on the tree is simply irresistible for children.
Where does the legend of the Christmas pickle come from?
Nobody knows for sure, but there are four stories that are told in turn. They are too lovely to leave out, and too unproven to believe:
The prisoner of Andersonville
John C. Lower, born in Bavaria, fought in the American Civil War and was taken prisoner in 1864. Starving, he is said to have begged a guard for a pickle on Christmas Eve, and it saved his life. From then on he hung a pickle on his tree every year. Where the story comes from, nobody knows.
Saint Nicholas and the pickle barrel
A Victorian tale: an innkeeper locks two Spanish boys in a barrel of pickles, and Saint Nicholas frees them. The story is a variant of a medieval Nicholas legend that involved a barrel of meat.
Woolworth and the glassware
In the 1880s and 1890s the American retail pioneer F. W. Woolworth began importing glass ornaments from Germany. Among the fruit and vegetables there were pickles too. Perhaps all it took was a good story to sell them.
The poor family
In a German version, poor families could not afford a present for every child, so they hid a single pickle in the tree. This, too, is a tale without evidence.
Most likely it is a mix: German glassblowers made glass fruit and vegetables from the 19th century onwards, American retailers imported them, and at some point in recent decades a story grew out of it. According to Salon, manufacturers in the 1990s spread the tale that a child was rewarded for being “observant”. According to t-online, Americans have practised the custom in its present form for around 30 years.
What does Berrien Springs have to do with the Christmas pickle?
Berrien Springs is a small town in Michigan, and it officially calls itself the “Christmas Pickle Capital of the World”. The title was awarded in 1995 by none other than the industry association Pickle Packers International. From 1992 there was a pickle parade there, led by a “Grand Dillmeister”, a play on the dill in the pickle jar. After a long break the festival was revived in 2021 and now takes place in summer, complete with a pickle royal family and a 5K run. Yes, really.
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Does the Christmas pickle come in other colours?
Yes, and that may be the loveliest twist in the story. Who says a pickle has to be green? Inge-Glas has reinterpreted the tradition with the Fancy Pickle: covered all over in glitter and set with sparkling crystals, in red, purple, pink and, of course, green. On the tree it is the exact opposite of the classic pickle: it does not want to be hidden, it wants to be seen. Our tip: hide the green pickle well for the treasure hunt, and hang its colourful sisters as jewels in plain sight next to it.
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Why are Christmas pickles made in Germany?
Because the art of blowing glass into shape is at home here. Glass has been made in Lauscha in the Thuringian Forest since 1597, and since the 19th century glass Christmas ornaments have been made there, including fruit, nuts and vegetables from the very beginning. When American tourists in the 1990s asked for the “original German pickle”, the glassblowers were at first astonished. One Lauscha glassblower says he only learned of the legend in Frankenmuth, Michigan. Today, according to German-Way, the pickle is one of the bestsellers at a Lauscha manufacturer, at around 50,000 pieces a year.
At Inge-Glas in Neustadt near Coburg, whose family traces its roots back to the founding of the Lauscha glassworks, the pickle is a perennial favourite too. According to the US military newspaper Stars and Stripes, the Inge-Glas Christmas pickle has been a bestseller at the Nuremberg Christkindlesmarkt for years. Every single one is mouth-blown, silvered inside with sterling silver and painted by hand. A little tip from Thuringia: don't hang the pickle on a tree outside the door, because outdoors it would fade over time.
Curiosities about the Christmas pickle
For your next chat under the tree
- The world capital is in Michigan
Berrien Springs has held the title “Christmas Pickle Capital of the World” since 1995, awarded by the pickle packers' industry association.
- A Dillmeister leads the parade
The pickle parade in Berrien Springs was led by a “Grand Dillmeister”, a blend of dill and the German Bürgermeister, or mayor.
- Re-imported from America
The pickle is probably an American invention made of German glass, which is now returning to Germany as an “American custom”.
- Not part of the bride's tree
It is often said that the pickle belongs to a traditional set of twelve ornaments for newlyweds. In the known lists of this set, however, it does not appear at all.
- Green on green
One theory says green pickles sold badly on green trees and only the treasure-hunt story made them a success. There is no proof, but it is charming.
Which Christmas pickle suits you?
- For families with small children: the pickle with Santa hat, big enough that the search does not become frustrating.
- For expert seekers: the mini pickle at 3.5 centimetres, a challenge even for eagle eyes.
- As a host gift: the pickle in a jar, packed like a real jar of pickles.
- For a grand entrance: the Magnificent Pickle in its glitter gown, the diva among pickles.
- For colour lovers: the Fancy Pickle in red, purple, pink or green, with glitter and crystals.
And if the pickle gives you an appetite for more culinary treats on the tree: why so many Christmas ornaments look like food is the subject of Champagne, Caviar, Pretzels: Why Food Hangs on the Christmas Tree.
Frequently asked questions about the Christmas pickle
What does the pickle on the Christmas tree mean?
The glass pickle is hidden in the tree. According to tradition, whoever finds it first gets an extra present or a year of good luck.
Is the Christmas pickle a German custom?
Hardly. According to a 2016 YouGov survey, 91 percent of Germans do not know the custom. It is mainly found in the USA, but the glass pickles are made in Germany.
Where does the Christmas pickle come from?
Its origin is unclear. The legends told include a soldier in the American Civil War, Saint Nicholas, and F. W. Woolworth's import of German glass ornaments.
When do you hang the Christmas pickle?
Traditionally on Christmas Eve, after the children are asleep. The search takes place on Christmas morning.
Who makes glass Christmas pickles?
Among others, the Inge-Glas manufactory in Neustadt near Coburg. Its pickles are mouth-blown, silvered inside with sterling silver and hand-painted.
Which sizes are available at 4D OUTFITTERS?
From the 3.5-centimetre mini pickle through 7 and 9 centimetres to the 12-centimetre pickle with Santa hat.
Does the Christmas pickle come in colour?
Yes. The Inge-Glas Fancy Pickle comes in red, purple, pink and green, covered in glitter and set with sparkling crystals.
Search first, then celebrate
Whether you see the pickle as an ancient custom or a charming American invention, a treasure hunt on the Christmas tree makes Christmas a little more fun, and a mouth-blown pickle lasts a lifetime. You can find the whole selection in our Inge-Glas collection or in our boutique in Bregenz. Shipping is free from € 200.
Your 4D OUTFITTERS team, Bregenz
Sources: YouGov 2016 · Wikipedia – Weihnachtsgurke · Wikipedia – Christmas pickle · German-Way · t-online · Stars and Stripes · Salon · WNDU · Schwäbische Zeitung · Inge-Glas – The Christmas Pickle
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