The Secret Of The German Christmas Pickle Tradition

Apparently many Americans follow the ‘German’ tradition of hiding a single pickle in their Christmas tree. Whoever finds it gets an extra gift. There’s just one problem - most Germans have never heard of this custom! So is putting a pickle in your Christmas tree really an ancient German tradition? Euromaxx reporter Hallie Rawlinson set off to solve the mystery of the Christmas pickle.
#ChristmasPickle #Christmas #GermanTraditions
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[@dweuromaxx]

Have you ever heard of the Christmas pickle? What are some interesting Christmas traditions in your country?

[@paulsj9245]

See de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Weihnachtsgurke

[@marikaserasini2315]

No, never😅 but that's nice, we could take this nice tradition also here in Italy😍👏👏 Actually I don't know if we have, as italians, funny or strange traditions, but I know a difference with Spain for example. They don't open their presents at Christmas morning but on 6th January, when the Kings would be arrived to visit Jesus Christ newborn.

[@TimothySielbeck]

Maybe it was a tradition of families of German descent who were living in America that started the tradition. My family, of mostly German descent, never heard of it that I know of.

[@claudiakarl7888]

German here - never heard of it

[@peterrabbitn787]

Northern German here never heared of it in Germany but knew it from Americans

[@RioMuc]

I love to hear about "German traditions" abroad, that are fully unknown for us in Germany. In Brazil they believe we drink warm beer in Germany and they have a German cake that I've never seen here.

[@maryymendes]

Just like we have a 'French bread' never seen in France hahaha that's normal, I guess. But about the warm beer, I've never heard anyone say that, but saw it happen a lot of times when I was living in Germany hehe so, I don't think it's 100% incorrect.

[@paulsj9245]

"German cake", a chocolate cake, originates from a US baker named German. So I was told by an expat youtuber in Germany.

[@RioMuc]

@@maryymendes Oh yes, "pão francês" is the one most people eat in Brazil, but it doesn't look like a Baguette, which is the typical French bread. Regarding beer, I don't usually drink alcohol, but I live in Munich in walking distance to the Oktoberfest and we also have reams of Biergärten (beer gardens) and breweries everywhere in Bavaria. Still I have never ever seen someone drinking warm beer, neither in Munich nor somewhere else in Germany. Beer in Germany is served at around 7°C. The only thing I found about warm beer on the internet is that it can be helpful when you have a cold.

[@RioMuc]

@@paulsj9245 The American "German cake" is indeed a cake created by an English-American chocolate maker named Samuel German, but I'm not sure if the "Torta Alemã" in Brazil has anything to do with it.

[@paulsj9245]

@@RioMuc Torta Alemã is certainly different! Sadly, Wikipedia in Portuguese doesn't know it. From the pics in google, it's a cream cake topped with chocolate with biscuits inside or around. Without looking at the recipes, it resembles Italian Tiramisu. It's mentioned in parallel to torta hollandesa (also cream, chocolate and biscuits outside), while "nederlandse cake" in their language is a dry cake, no cream. I'd think that the country names are only descriptors, not hints to the origins.

[@paulsj9245]

According to de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Weihnachtsgurke, it was a thing in Germany in 1909, apparently mostly forgotten here but not by German emigrants. Instead of a department store, you should look for it in a Christmas market. I bought mine on Nuremberg's Christkindlmarkt last year!

[@dr.wahnsinn9913]

It is a actually a german tradition. But from east germany. The most people who know it have origins from Prussia (Berlin/Barandenburg) or Thuringa, so it was likely very regional. Furthermore we germans had a horrible time for 40 years (1914- mid 50s) and most familys was happy, if they could bring one Present for every child under the tree. I think this is one of the reasons this tradition was droped, together with the little GDR-Problem and the fat that familys became very small in the 60s this tradition was lost for the most germans. But my grandpa practiced it in the 50s with my mother and her brother.

[@annabella7285]

Interesting. I’ve lived in the US for 40 years and never heard of the Christmas pickle. I do enjoy these wonderful and insightful videos. This makes me miss traveling even more.

[@magdavic9997]

I love it when there's a tradition from a specific place in a country but the people from that place have no idea about it 😂😂 also, Hallie's Christmas look is so beautiful!

[@Zuschauer9]

I am an over 30 year old german guy and never heard of it :D

[@oliverschmidt1988]

thx.neither me

[@ОляБо-у7ы]

What a nice tradition. And it's so pleasant to hear Shchedryk melody on the background of this story;)

[@michaelmorgan9824]

Only when it was brought up on KZbin channel German girl in America and people asked her about it. She is from Munich. She had never heard of it either! Great video lots of information! Merry Christmas! Thanks!

[@aloysiusjones3985]

I have heard of this, my wife purchased one in Brugge. It hangs on the tree with all of our other European decorations. I was led to believe it was a German tradition but I cannot find any evidence. I think it is just one of those things. Cheers🇦🇺

[@alisona9941]

Im from Germany but never heard from something like that Tradition before ...

[@mimiseeyou]

I fell for it when I saw an ornament in 2014 with the German tradition on it 😂 I’m happy to report that all the small kids in my family have enjoyed hunting for the pickle. We’ll keep it. Super cute outfit!!!

[@hblaub]

So, that's why the shops had to close again! Everything was upside down and chaotic after too many people searched for pickles

[@colestockdale5616]

We've been hanging them up on the tree in our family for 50 years. My family is primarily English and High German but apparently, it began with my Great Grandmother's family in 1898 in Ohio.

[@MrBertiger]

I'm from Germany and my family always puts a Pickle in the our Christmastree.

[@honey3762]

this is like japanese people being convinced by a marketing ad that american's eat KFC for christmas and now they have to make reservations at KFC in Tokyo

[@dweuromaxx]

@honey "Thou shalt not confuse the pickle with a chicken" (Old German Proverb 😉😁)

[@roschue]

I'm a 52 year old german, and I have absolutely no idea what you're talking about? What is a christmas pickle?

[@dweuromaxx]

It seems you're not alone with this! The tradition appears to be an American one with German origins :)

[@2012WCIH]

I’m getting old. But still learning. Never heard of a Christmas pickle here in Germany. My cousin put a fish on the Christmas tree. But this is an another story....

[@dweuromaxx]

@A SH2018 😂A Fish! What a lovely idea.🐟🐠🐡

[@benn87]

The Christmas pickle is about as German as spaghetti and meatballs are Italian....

[@pradeepjames408]

I like spicy hot pickles, but this pickle is more spicier than our usual stuff....Good Coverage on Christmas season- DW, Deliciously Warmth.

[@aperzinger]

hab noch nie von einer weihnachts gurke gehört haha

[@tvbox6955]

I was born and raised in the USA and never heard of a Christmas pickle.

[@dweuromaxx]

Now you have! 😆

[@JHowesitgoing123]

It's a regional thing. Where were you born? I've seen it in the Midwest primarily, and some parts of Pennsylvania.

[@m8k1shaiz8]

We don't have the Christmas pickles, but we have the Weihnachts Pickel (Christmas pimple). That comes after the ton of chocolate that is eaten at Christmas. 🤣🤣🤣

[@feothyr6810]

The first time I'm hearing of this. 🤔 Pretty sure we never had a Christmas pickle. I remember hiding under the table, because Knecht Ruprecht - excuse my language - scared the shit out of me.

[@koalanetzekoalanetze1966]

Some americans told me about this "Xmas pickle" being a german tradition. Also never heard of it and first thought that they made it up. Good that DW made a vid out of it.

[@LS-en9gs]

I'm German and my aunt did it once. She hid a large cucumber in the three because my Cousins and I were always fighting who can open the first present. So this was a simple solution🥴

[@GUTOMOFFICIAL]

Didn't know about this! Very interesting!

[@GlobeTrot707]

I was born in Germany and now live in the US. I've never heard of this "tradition".

[@BirteK1975]

I am German, used to live in Western New York. People asked me about that darn pickle all the time. Never heard about it.

[@henningbartels6245]

@@BirteK1975 I live two years in NYC and was asked about the pickle several time , so I didn't know it from Germany. There are sometimes chocolate or cookie treats on a German christmas tree which seem not common in the US.

[@bibbybibby869]

I live in Canada and I was adopted by a Dutch family and we do it every year and my parents hide it in the house and me and my siblings search for it and the winner get 50$$

[@MDobri-sy1ce]

I am actually surprised the whole pickle tradition did not originate in Poland. I have seen more pickles used in Polish cuisine than German cuisine.

[@marikaserasini2315]

Maybe you're right, maybe it has ita origins in Poland

[@andychicago8295]

Noch nie davon gehört.

[@lS-qp6zq]

0:40 Knut reduced (or immortalized sounds better) to becoming a Xmas tree ornament as well. 🎄

[@candygarfield1479]

My daughter asked me to search for a Christmas pickle for her highschool best friend.. so I'm looking up origins to find the best one. The Christmas ornament maker, his dad DID have a mold.. sooo. I want one of his. How do I contact him. ?

[@dweuromaxx]

Search for "Michael Haberland" and "Lauscha".

[@AuroraChernobyl]

She's American living in Germany, yet wearing a tartan skirt.

[@Alex4SiliconValley]

In California “White elephant” gift exchange method is very popular for large families and office parties.

[@henningbartels6245]

what is it? Is it like the German "wichteln", where do something like a raffle by picking one person for whose present you will responsible.

[@Alex4SiliconValley]

@@henningbartels6245 kzbin.info/www/bejne/ZmWkm4Rqqd-NbcU

[@lukerinderknecht2982]

Wow, interesting to hear it wasn't actually a thing after all. 🥒🎄

[@christopherbeckerdite4273]

I'm from the USA and never heard anything so silly. I think it's marketing more than tradition

[@Prsfl9973]

Just like German Chocolate Cake is an American invention. Really like this narrator/host.

[@ABtheButterfly]

German chocolate cake was invented in Texas by Mrs. George Clay was named after the English-American, Samuel German, who invented "German Chocolate"

[@animal0mother]

Much like French toast allegedly being named after someone with the surname, "French".

[@princevesperal]

I reckon there are a few traditions that start like this: in order to justify a weird new custom, it will be claimed that it is already a tradition elsewhere. In Canada, the Minister of Finance traditionally wears brand new shoes on the day that the budget is presented to Parliament. It's been presented as a British tradition that was inherited alongside the Westminster system. But there is no such tradition in the UK. It's completely made-up, and purely Canadian; it's not even that old, but it's just become part of the established practices.

[@dweuromaxx]

This is a great fact 😁

[@iwavns]

1:10 Santstronaut

[@OstapVasilevschi]

I enjoyed the Ukrainian carol of the bells just playing.

[@brummboss4205]

a Christmas pickle is not a German Tradition and never was!!!

[@kessas.489]

Never heard about it...

[@RN-kl4kp]

Pickle rick.........!

[@andysommer495]

i am from germany, i thought it is an american tradition? 🤣

[@andychicago8295]

Unbelievable how beautiful you are! Greetings from Ludwigsburg. But never heard from this "tradition"

[@ComradeNegrisor69]

do the garlic, vs vampires one from romania next! bro im sick of you westoids allways asking me whats the deal whit the garlic and vampires

[@jc9552]

I am from Germany and have never heard of this. Bescheuert.

[@xoxnanxoxful]

❤

[@woozl1896]

It‘s definitely no German tradition, maybe English?

[@BambooTime]

4:57 ABMAHNUNG IST RAUS!

[@dweuromaxx]

😇

[@felixk1843]

This aint german lol

[@trevorphillips3293]

Sowas gibt es nicht in deutschland

[@tcampbell2186]

She made this up. I’m American and never heard of this in my life 😂 Nobody knows what’s she’s talking about.

[@amblincork]

Sounds very Irish, invent a tradition that no one has ever heard of or care about and make a documentary about it......Slan libh anois...

[@jacobdaus3835]

I've got a "special" German Pickle for her! I love red heads 😍

[@derektathgur]

I am glad Germany got rid of its questionable history bits (especially the 🥒) after the second world war and replaced it with more paletteable collectivist nonsense❤️. Best wishes.

[@stardaddyo9]

I'm Irish I put a pickle on my tree

[@dweuromaxx]

This seems like the beginning of a poem